SANFORD, Fla. — Pay and benefits are major points of contention for many Sanford Police officers.

According to the President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #140, the city pays officers 18% less that other agencies across Central Florida.

What You Need To Know

  • Police union reps for Sanford police officers continue to negotiate with city leaders on a salary increase

  • Right now starting pay for an officer is $44,000 dollars

  • The hope is to have a salary increase finalized and approved by the commission by mid December

On Tuesday, Union reps sat down once again with city leaders for new contract negotiations but did not reach and agreement. 

During negotiations, many watched the discussion holding up signs that read things like “Our officers deserve better” and “Our officers are the lowest paid in Seminole and Orange Counties.”

The President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Mike Bernosky, took part the negotiations and said right now starting pay for an officer is $44,000 dollars.

He shared they are also fighting for officers to get the same holiday pay city employee’s do and to be able to sell back sick time like other Sanford employees can.

He just retired after 21 years in the department and says watching other officers leave for better paying jobs is a tough burden to bear for those who stick around.

“You have to work a lot harder and handle a lot more calls because officers are leaving to go to better paying departments and they are making new officers sign four year contracts, said Bernosky. "But that contract doesn’t do anything to keep them here we pay for them to go to the academy, we pay for them to go through training, we pay for them to go through uniforms and then they get the experience here and if you work at Sanford you are going to get hired at pretty much any other department."

Bernosky said the department currently has 18 vacancies with 6 more officers set to leave next month.

While at the table, Chief Cecil Smith said while it does bug him to see his officers leave for other departments, it comes down to not having the funds — and they are not the only ones in Sanford dealing with this.

The hope is to have a salary increase finalized and approved by the commission by mid December, so officers could have a bigger paycheck ahead of the holidays.

Currently the City of Sanford Police Department has 130 sworn officers and 17 civilian employees​.