"The San Diego Police Officers Association understands the serious financial challenges facing the City of San Diego. Our officers have already accepted changes that will significantly reduce pension costs, including the creation of an entirely new pension system that reduces taxpayer risk, increases employee contributions, eliminates the purchase of service credits, eliminates the DROP program and raises the retirement age by five years.

We’re also working with the City to find ways to reduce the cost of retiree health care. These are constructive changes that will save San Diego taxpayers millions each year, and much of those savings are coming directly from our officers’ personal contributions. We are working to help restore our City’s finances.

San Diego already has one of the lowest ratios of police officers to residents of any major city in the United States. Our officers continue to deliver more services with fewer resources. They put their lives on the line every day to protect San Diegans, which is why we find it discouraging when some politicians try to exploit this issue for personal gain and undermine efforts for real, constructive changes.

In an era of "do more with less" throughout the City, we can appreciate that Councilmember Carl DeMaio maintains one of the smaller council staffs and though he may operate his office under a lower budget than other City Council offices, we must question the sincerity of someone who targets City employee pay raises while also awarding his own staff pay raises since taking office.

To use the example of the top pensioners is misleading – the top pensioners are senior level managers who received the City’s highest salaries. Based on information from the San Diego City Retirement Employees System (SDCERS), the overall average City employee pension is $40,000 per year and the average police officer pension is $50,000. Furthermore, elected officials participating in the pension system receive the most generous retirement benefits package with a per member cost higher than any other bargaining unit.

It’s disappointing to us when some politicians try to take advantage of the situation, and personally target many hard-working long-time City employees who were granted these benefits by previous administrations and City Councils who supported the pension underfunding. It will take time for these issues to be resolved, but major strides have been made in the right direction. To continue to use City employees as the reasons for budget shortfalls is not constructive and misdirected."

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