Glen Cove raises starting pay for police officers, hikes annual pay by about 3%

The City of Glen Cove has inked a four-year deal with its police union that raises the starting pay for new officers and contains average wage increases of roughly 3%.

The contract is retroactive to Jan. 1 and runs through 2029. City officials said the bump in pay for new officers is aimed at keeping the department competitive with Nassau County’s police department. The prior contract ran from the start of 2021 until the end of last year.

“It’s very difficult to recruit new officers,” Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck said in a phone interview. She said the city plans to hire new cops “as needed.” 

The city council approved the pact with the Glen Cove Police Benevolent Association during its Feb. 24 meeting.

The previous contract had separate pay steps for officers in the academy and those beginning their first year of service. The new deal combines those steps and establishes a single starting pay of $50,000 for officers and recruits hired this year. That's up from 2025, when the salary for academy recruits was $39,692 and new officers started at $45,450. The department has 57 uniformed officers, Newsday reported in December.

All union members, excluding new officers, will receive a 3% pay bump this year. Then, all officers will receive a 3% increase in 2027, a 3.25% increase in 2028, and a 3.5% increase in 2029, according to the contract.

Glen Cove Controller Michael Piccirillo said the city budgets for 3% annual pay increases and is able to absorb the slightly bigger increases in the second half of the contract. 

New officers will contribute 15% to their health insurance premiums, officials said, up from a 10% cap in the prior contract. City officials said health insurance costs have ballooned.

Christopher Pascucci, president of the Glen Cove PBA, said in an email that "the increases represent a fair and reasonable agreement for our members while remaining mindful of the financial responsibilities to taxpayers."

He also said the contract "addresses structural issues within the department, provides reasonable salary adjustments, and helps ensure we can continue attracting and retaining qualified officers who are committed to serving and protecting this community every day."

The contract creates three separate detective grades. The prior contract had a single rank.

A grade 2 detective requires 10 years of experience as a detective and comes with a $2,000 pay increase. A grade 1 detective requires 12 years, and the rank is subject to the police chief’s approval. It comes with a $3,000 pay increase above grade 2. 

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ