After working without a contract for more than a year, Arlington Heights cops finally get new deal

Arlington Heights village officials have inked a new agreement with police officers who had been working without a contract since the start of 2023.

The three-year deal, approved 8-0 by the village board this week and unanimously ratified by the police union’s membership, awards rank-and-file officers a 3.5% raise retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023; 3% raise retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024; and 3.2% raise in 2025.

The parties also agreed to add a new ninth step to the salary schedule this year, in which officers can advance from step eight after 1⅟₂ years of service and completion of 270 hours of advanced law enforcement training.

Under the 2024 salary schedule, a rookie officer will be paid $80,500. A veteran officer with the most experience can earn up to $119,792.

Village Manager Randy Recklaus said the salaries are “at a level that we think is competitive so we can continue to attract the best and brightest to our law enforcement agency.”

Regarding the overdue contract, Recklaus said: “No one who was working on this was happy about that, but in the end the bargaining team(s) on both the union side and management side were able to be creative and work hard and stay dedicated to get that deal done. We think this is a very fair agreement.”

Jonathan Vinson, a police officer and treasurer of Metropolitan Alliance of Police, Arlington Heights Police Chapter #510, said the new deal will help keep the department well staffed with a high-quality candidate pool amid lateral transfers from other agencies.

“I know it’s been a little bit of a process, but I think ratification of this agreement will help us with retention and recruitment,” Vinson said.

To prepare for impending retirements, the two sides also agreed to convert sick time into paid medical insurance for the least expensive plan at the time of an officer’s retirement.

The contract runs until the end of 2025.