Carpentersville contract offers bonuses for healthy cops

In addition to modest raises, the new police contract for Carpentersville's 49 rank-and-file officers is packed with several incentives for them to stay healthy.

The village, led by a manager in the U.S. Army Reserves, is working to make sure its force stays in shape to better handle the rigors of police work by getting its cops in the habit of exercising.

As part of the contract, passed unanimously by the village board Tuesday, officers hired after May 1 have to pass the same detailed physical test each year that they took to get their jobs in Carpentersville.

For officers on the job before then, the test is voluntary and the village will take no disciplinary action against those who flunk or refuse to take the test.

Those who pass the annual test receive one paid day off called a “fitness day.”

Officers failing it can retake it after three months.

Continuing with its health kick, the village has established a health savings account for officers with at least 960 hours — or 10 years — of accrued sick time. Money from unused sick hours beyond that goes into a post-retirement medical savings plan at 50 cents on the dollar.

Similar provisions with respect to the savings account and physical fitness are included in the contract the village board approved for its eight sergeants in May.

Deputy Chief Dean Stiegemeier said good health and mental alertness go hand in hand.

“Just for the officers themselves, they face danger every day and they need to keep themselves physically fit to overcome any obstacles that might be thrust at them,” he said.

As well, officers who don't use sick days, who aren't suspended and who aren't on disability leave between now and Oct. 31 receive a $250 reimbursement.

“The incentive is that the less sick time they use, the more their sick days accrue and the better chance they have qualifying for benefits under the HSA,” Police Chief David Neumann said.

The previous contract that lasted one year expired April 30, 2010. The village board approved the new, three-year contract Tuesday and it runs from May 1, 2010, through April 30, 2013.

When it comes to money, officers will receive a no raise during the first year, a 2-percent raise the second year and a 1-percent raise in the final year. The raises are retroactive to May 1, 2011.

So a new officer without a higher education degree making $55,788 now in the second year of the contract will receive $56,345.88 in the final year

Meanwhile, a new officer with an associate's or bachelor's degree making $58,620 now in the contract's second year will make $59,206.20 the third year.

Under the deal, officers will receive an additional personal day for a total of four, but can only cash out two, instead of three. That saves the village $14,487.

In exchange for all of this, the village has agreed that it will not lay off patrol officers. And the union agreed to drop a pair of past insurance premium disputes.

“The police officers were very cooperative,” Village President Ed Ritter said, noting that attorneys had minimal involvement in direct talks. “It really changes the way negotiations are held.”