Dover Police get new contract

City Council members in Delaware’s capital city have approved a new three year contract for city police.

City Council members in Delaware’s capital city have approved a new three year contract for city police. That brings to an end a lengthy dispute over compensation and furlough days for Dover’s police. Under the new contract, officers will get a 3.5% raise in the first year, but will also have to take nine unpaid furlough days. In the second year, officers would get a raise of 1.5% to 3% depending on the rate of inflation. The pay increase in the third year of the contract will be negotiated.

In June, Dover Mayor Carleton Carey vetoed the budget that had been approved by city council because it included layoffs for most of Dover’s 400 employees including police officers. Dover council members approved an override of the mayor’s veto, reinstating the furloughs for police officers and others. But because the police union had not reached a new contract agreement, the furloughs had not started. The initial budget Carey vetoed included one day of furlough for every officer every month for the next year. The new contract reduces to those 12 furlough days to nine.