ANAHEIM : Police Accept Deal of Raise, Housing Aid

The Anaheim Police Assn. Friday approved a three-year contract proposal that would provide an increase in base pay and would encourage officers to live in the city.

Final approval of the contract by the City Council is expected at its July 11 meeting. The city’s current contract with the police union expires July 13.

Under the proposal, police officers would receive a 4% raise in base pay starting in October, 1996. The current base pay for an officer is $49,608 a year.

A notable provision of the proposed benefits package is a $10,000 housing incentive designed to increase the number of Anaheim police officers who live in the city.

“We’re not aware of anyone else who has done this,” said David Hill, director of human resources for the city.

“Community policing is better facilitated when you have a close connection between the community and the police officers,” Hill said. “And the more officers who live in the community, the more likely there will be a greater connection.”

The proposal, which the union approved by a 3 to 1 ratio, calls for an officer who purchases a principal place of residence in Anaheim to receive a $10,000 second trust deed loan from the city. The loan would be forgiven at the rate of $1,000 annually for each year that the officer works for the department and continues to live in the city.

Negotiations began with the police union in March.