by Jim Smilie
Mayor Jeffrey W. Hall and representatives of Alexandria Police Officers Association Local 833 formally signed the contract between the City and the union during a ceremony at the Public Safety Complex in July.
“I’m proud to stand here today with these officers to get them the increases they deserve,” Hall said. “It is a new day for APD in terms of pay, benefits, and leadership. The men and women of APD are professionals and now their pay and benefits package match the high standard of performance of our officers.”
Alexandria Police Officers Association Local 833 President Sgt. Bobby Branton added, “This is a great victory for our officers and our citizens. I want to personally thank Mayor Hall, as well as his staff, for their hard work and diligence during the negotiations. I also want to thank the City Council for their support of the Alexandria Police Department and for voting to approve this agreement. We have some great men and women at the Alexandria Police Department and we look forward to continuing to provide the best service and protection possible to the citizens of Alexandria.”
Hall and Branton said they appreciated the way both sides handled the negotiations. “I want the residents of Alexandria to know there was never any animosity or negativity between the administration and the union leadership,” Hall said. “The entire process was professional and disciplined just as you would expect from veteran law enforcement officials. This agreement shows what can be done when folks put aside their personal differences, work together and are open to compromise in order to achieve the best possible outcome.”
Alexandria Police Chief Ronney Howard said the new agreement will have a positive impact on his department. “We are already seeing the benefits of this new contract in terms of recruits for the regional police academy that starts later this month and the number of POST certified veteran officers who have joined or expressed an interest in APD,” Howard said. “I expect that trend to continue as we work to fill vacancies and continue to strengthen and improve our department so that we can keep Alexandria residents as safe as possible.”
