THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY:Besides Great Perks, Gcity Taxpayers Pay Their Police The Top Salary In CC
Besides Great Perks, Gcity Taxpayers Pay Their Police The Top Salary In CC
Thursday, August 03, 2023
Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Investigating Reporter
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (August 3, 2023)--ClearysNoteBook (CNBNews) submitted an OPRA request for Police Officers, Police Managers, Firemen, and Fire Managers' current contracts.
We obtained four contracts; the contract for the Police Managers expired on December 31, 2021, so either the police managers have been working for 15 months without a contract, or we received the wrong contract. That will be investigated. Also, the contract for Police Management has a paragraph that explicitly omits Brian Morrell (part-time Chief) and his brother, Michael Morrell, Captain. Although the Morrells' contracts were included in the OPRA request, these contracts were not provided, and this will also be investigated.
These contracts will be explained in a series of articles. Following that, the City of Gloucester Employee Manual will be examined for the same reasons.
This article addresses only the first five articles of the managers' contract.
Article I - Introduction
Article II - prohibits discrimination on the basis of hours worked, wages, and tenure.
- elected representatives get paid time off for negotiations, grievance sessions, and meetings, provided the
efficient operation of the department isn't affected. This applies to only one officer, allowing two days per
month to represent PBA Local 40.
- The above does not affect conventional leave,
- Officers can inspect personnel files when convenient and with a manager present.
- The City must notify an officer if the material of a derogatory nature is put into his file. The union will be notified
of disciplinary action.
Article III - Paid time off
- Vacation (the contract does not address any vacation time prior to the completion of the third year of
employment. (This will be verified)
- Officers who completed three years of service but less than 11 years get 180 hours (4.5 weeks at a 40-hour week)
Officers who completed 11 years of service but less than 19 years get 240 hours (6 weeks)
Officers who completed 19 years of service but less than 23 years get 300 hours (7 1/2 weeks)
Officers who completed 23 years of service or more get 360 hours (9 weeks)
Officers can take vacation time on an hourly basis. If an officer has to work during his planned vacation time, he will
be paid his regular salary plus vacation pay, calculated on his annual rate.
Article IV - Other Leave
- Military Leave, no reservists are working for the Gloucester City Police Department (per
- Bereavement - from the date of death of a family member until two days after the burial for a maximum of five days. Family members include spouse, father, mother, children, step-children, grandchildren, parents-in-law, or sibling.
Additional information will be included in the City of Gloucester Employee Manual.
- Sick leave, 180 hours (4 1/2 weeks) granted each year from the hire date. Sick leave can be used on an hourly
basis.
Accumulated sick leave (until retirement.) When an officer retires, he gets 100% of all sick time up to 1096 hours (27.4 weeks.) The contract is not explicit about at what rate the officer is paid. For example, if a manager retires after 25 years (1989 - 2014), he may have made $50,000 in 1989, maybe $65,000 in 1999, $ 90,000 in 2009, and $123,000 when he retires. In this case, the 1096 hours paid would be based on the average salaries over those 25 years, or $65,000. However, many state departments/organizations pay the 1096 hours on the final salary of $123,000. The difference between the two methods is close to double the payout for unused sick leave.
Article V, section B (2)(c)
- Other leave: 24 hours of personal time that cannot be accumulated.
- Separation Pay (if the department should be abolished, merged, or ceased to operate as a separate entity.) Each officer gets one month's separation pay for each three months of service, for a maximum of 36 months (3 years.)
The city will maintain medical benefits for one year.
- Termination for cause after due process, the officer is not entitled to any payment.
- Work-related injury - the officer receives full pay (adjusted for worker's compensation benefits) for one year. This time does not count against accumulated sick time. Should the officer return to work on light duty, he has eight weeks to adjust. If he is unsuccessful, he can return for another year's leave.
The rest of the Police Department's Managerial contract will be discussed soon.
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Editor's Note: As per NJ.com, Gloucester City Police Officers earn an average salary of $127,000, which places them as the third highest-paid police officers among the 37 communities in Camden County. 
Since the 1960s, the population of Gloucester City has decreased from 17,000 to 11,000, yet the number of police officers employed since 2021 has increased to 37, along with two clerical staff. The exact number of administrative staff is unknown. It is worth noting that the chief's brother, Michael Morrell, holds the position of captain, and the husband of the municipal clerk, Vanessa Little, is a lieutenant in the department. We do not know how many officers are employed as detectives. And, we do not know how many officers are Class II or Class III.
We attempted to obtain the number of police vehicles but were unsuccessful. Recently, we observed a white pickup with flashing lights speeding down Broadway, one of two police vehicles responding to a call. The council passed a $1.5 million bond ordinance on first reading, including $180,000 for new SUVs. It is not known what department in the city will be receiving them. That same ordinance includes $500,000 for a new ladder truck for the fire department.