Labor costs account for about 70% of SEPTA's $1.5 billion budget, and the agency shelled out nearly $59 million just in overtime payments for the fiscal year ending in June 30, 2020. That incident happened around 7th and Market streets, police said. Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks floor seat tickets, A SEPTA employee walks between two El cars lifted for repairs at the 69th Street SEPTA repair shop. provides outstanding benefit and retirement programs: Voluntary Governmental 457B Deferred Comp Plan, SEPTA employment also qualifies for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, SEPTA Transportation Pass FREE travel on all SEPTA modes of transportation, Transit Police Officer Physical Requirements. The starting salary for a SEPTA police officer is $18 per hour. According to SEPTA, the department is down 50 transit officers. They reached agreement on raises after about six weeks of talks. SEPTA highlights signs of human trafficking in new campaign. Septa employees with the job title Bus . This employer has claimed their Employer Profile and is engaged in the Glassdoor community. Its just something employees have to consider if they want to move up or stay in that overtime- eligible position, he said. SEPTA currently has about 210 employees on the transit police force, a number that includes those in leadership positions. Septa pays its employees an average of $27.63 an hour. The K9 Unit inspects unattended bags and packages in those areas to detect explosives. Chris Zabala, a SEPTA electrician who left the agency in 2016, said that while unionized workers struggled to get their own overtime hours approved, management seemed to be able to easily game the system. The stabbing victims are expected to recover and no updates have been provided on the status of investigations into these incidents. Busch acknowledged that overtime payouts, which do not contribute to an employees pension, were sometimes a factor in internal promotions. Worse thing its HMO which really isnt that bad., Union employees have to wait a full year for vacation time. Phone: (215) 580-7800 The highest earner was SEPTA Transit Police Lt. Michael Wright, who racked up $116,636 in overtime, pushing his total salary to $211,895. Busch said even this apparently brutal work schedule did not necessarily raise red flags for the agency. that they couldnt really afford to pay a death benefit to each of the families who lost someone. Average Salaries at SEPTA Installation & Maintenance Signal Maintainer $33.48 per hour Mechanic $27.59 per hour Maintenance Person $33.07 per hour Project Management Project Engineer $76,191 per year Project Manager $83,851 per year Program Manager $108,277 per year Driving Bus Driver $20.73 per hour Truck Driver $30.41 per hour Driver Aggravated assaults and robberies in SEPTA stations, transit hubs, and vehicles rose more than 80% between 2019 and 2021, the agency said. Nearly 220+ officers serve and protect within the 2,200 square-mile SEPTA service area. Philadelphia, PA 19107 But the overtime money was not distributed equally, with fully half of all OT payments going to just 800 employees, or less than 10% of SEPTA's 9,200-strong workforce. The estimated additional pay is $4,578 per year. For now, SEPTA police inspector Charles Lawson is stepping in as acting chief. The salary starts at $67,674 per year and goes up to $65,232 per year for the highest level of seniority. Market data provided byFactset. In 2016, Nestel introduced body cameras to SEPTAs police force, to make good cops great cops and make the rest of them follow the rules., Love Philly? As of 2020, the starting salary for State Troopers is $69,542. We know people will see the numbers, and some will look big in relation to what someones base salary is, Busch said. As he runs to succeed Wolf as governor, Shapiro says he is against some of the same COVID measures that his fellow Democrat used to help manage the pandemic. Average SEPTA Police Officer yearly pay in Philadelphia is approximately $50,000, which is 8% below the national average. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. Nestel informed SEPTA a week prior that he intended to retire after the holiday, agency spokesperson Andrew Busch said, but there were rumors hed been given an ultimatum to step away from the position and public pressure had been building. Read what they think about their salaries on our Compensation FAQ page for Septa. And if the financial management is questionable, who knows what they could pay out for people if they did a better job? Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby discusses the change in tune as city leaders look to refund the police amid nationwide crime spike. Currently there are about 212 on the force, SEPTA spokesperson Busch said. Kriz said workloads like his raised questions about safety for everyone involved including riders who depend on the specialist to keep subway cars in safe operating condition. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. SEPTAs Recruitment Department is currently accepting applications for the position of Transit Police Officer. So to fill in the gaps, the Transit Workers Union, Local 234 (thats the chapter of the union that includes most drivers, other blue collar workers), they spent like $8,000 on hand sanitizer in April, another $11,000 on masks in May. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. #cheesesandwich pic.twitter.com/EDor8ktUeG. Aug 3, 2021 #SEPTA is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect wanted in an assault of a SEPTA employee. A sweeping pay increase in SEPTA's fight to improve safety as transit police officers brace for the largest salary boost in two decades. On the connection between SEPTAs overtime spending and decision on death benefits. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority pays those in the bottom 10 percent $24,000 a year, and the top 10 percent over $72,000. Equal parts funny and fascinating, Bullseye sifts the wheat from the chaff, and brings you hot culture picks, in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary creative people and irreverent original comedy. Receive Be on the Look Out alerts and send back information if you see the person being sought. Eltor Sumpter, also earned about as much or more than the top transit law enforcement official. Changes in the transit police pay scale will go into effect as early as Sunday, the agency said. That being said last year, SEPTA faced a federal investigation into alleged fraudulent spending involving roughly a dozen managers who were working with an outside vendor to embezzle money using SEPTAs credit cards. The salary trajectory of a Septa Police Officer ranges between locations and employers. This isnt a `rank-and-file issue. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The previous top rate was $66,480 after 48 months of service. NBC10 hires Fred Shropshire to replace Jim Rosenfield as weekday evening anchor. All tips can be kept confidential. Labor costs account for about 70% of SEPTAs $1.5 billion budget, and the agency shelled out nearly $59 million just in overtime payments for the fiscal year ending in June 30, 2020. Officers with four or more years of service on the force will see a pay boost of around 11% under the new labor agreement, and those in the department under four years will reach a new "top rate". Charles Cole Credit: Courtesy SEPTA. In-depth, original reporting on housing, transportation, and development. The first SEPTA Transit Police Department class started training in February 1981, and ended with 55 new officers. The authority replaced them with Glock 17s, which arrived after a delay. And now were seeing this sketchy [overtime] system where theyre paying out excessive amounts to a handful of employees. Here is the Kenya Police salary scale list the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) wanted to implement after pay cuts: NPSC's Kenya Police salary scale list (proposed pay cuts included). https://t.co/8V9wGa9R57 pic.twitter.com/LUu12tif2w. They would call a guy like me in, a union guy, to justify that a man needed supervision. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. "SEPTA transit police will be in stations and on vehicles ensuring that those who are traveling have good reason to be on the system," a SEPTA official said on Tuesday. "SEPTA must spend a significant portion of its vast financial resources on making its transit police officer salaries more competitive and improving working conditions so that we can attract the quality candidates that we so desperately need, to aid in our efforts to keep SEPTAs passengers and employees safe as they traverse our transit system," Bervine said. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. One involved a man punching a SEPTA maintenance worker and the other is wanted for stabbing a teen after a fight on a train spilled onto the platform. NPSC adjustments on the Kenya Police salary Graduate cops will earn slightly above Ksh 18,000. The majority of the overtime went to maintenance and construction divisions, like one at the heart of an ongoing FBI probe, or the agencys in-house police force. The move also comes as SEPTA continues to struggle to recover ridership, which dropped during the height of the pandemic, and perceptions of danger dont help bring people back. During that time, assaults on transit employees were especially bad. The estimated additional pay is $4,578 per year. Pay for Transit Police candidates in the police academy will jump 21% from $46,536 to $56,507, just under what Philadelphia Police Department recruits get. Reporters Ryan Briggs with WHYYs PlanPhilly and Michaela Winberg with WHYYs Billy Penn uncovered this troubling pattern, which stands in stark relief next to SEPTAs recent statement it cant afford to pay additional death benefits to families of workers who died of COVID-19. Reports any safety concerns, compromises or hazards affecting operations, the public, self and/or other employees. Leave a comment. The threat of crime has not helped in bringing the public back to routine use of SEPTA. (Photo by Cory Clark/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images). Expect a more slimmed down Santa Express train from SEPTA this year. How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $50K-$74K/yr? As a matter of fact, I hope it will help," Lynn Watson said. Transit police officers also often collaborate with other law enforcement departments, like joining the PPD on SWAT teams. "Maybe a little bit safer, but I mean I wish that the whole city changes to make things better and not just police officers," one rider said. Separately, a man was stabbed multiple times Sunday at SEPTA's 34th Street Station on Sunday afternoon, police said. That includes stepped-up investments in social-service workers and security guards. "Our transit officers are frequently forced to deal with unacceptable working conditions, such as an entire district headquarters not having hot water for over a month, or having to eat lunch in break rooms that are missing ceiling tiles and leak whenever it rains," Bervine said. That program got some unwanted attention last summer, when there were two reports within a few weeks of security guards assaulting individuals at transit stations. Spending on safety and security will increase by about 50% to $53 million for the 2023 fiscal year, which begins July 1. He said his organization applauds SEPTAs recent efforts to engage social workers. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. "SEPTA is among the lowest paying full-time police jobs in the area.". Emergency Call Boxes in subway stations also put you in immediate contact with Transit Police. The unions contract expires in 2023. Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter to get everything you need to know about Philadelphia, every day. Rampant overtime spending. 2023 Flower Show Weekend Extra Regional Rail Train Service, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. John Kaminski, Glendale Thomas and James McDaniel earned by far the most overtime out of SEPTAs 260 mid-level maintenance managers, each asserting close to $90,000 in overtime claims last year. #SEPTAnews @SEPTAPHILLY @SEPTA_SOCIAL 1:58 1.7K views Thomas J. Nestel III Retweeted Get a free, personalized salary estimate based on today's job market. Salary information comes from 1 data point collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 24 months. Police Officers salaries on the level of Police Departments throughout the Philadelphia region. The department is already stretched thin, the transit police union says. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. Busch defended the overtime payments, asserting that all three were charged with mission- critical maintenance roles, and that SEPTAs seniority rules meant veteran employees, like the trio, got first dibs. With more online . The Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109, which represents SEPTA transit police officers in Philadelphia, is calling for SEPTA to improve working conditions and increase pay in order to recruit more officers. So the unions specifically asked for a $500,000 death benefit for [Teds family] and all of the families who lost a SEPTA employee. "Thus far we have been unable to get Ms. Richards to even meet with us, despite our numerous requests spanning several months," Bervine said. Title: Subway . The estimated base pay is $56,219 per year. But some rank-and-file maintenance staff also saw claims that raised questions at the very least, about worker safety. Collaborates with other law enforcement while responding to incidents. Sinkiewicz, now fired from his job as Sergeant with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority police (SEPTA), was among the law enforcement officers stationed by the MSB and Frank Rizzo statue the night . The SEPTA Police Department offers an excellent benefits package, and a starting salary of $43,856 for Academy recruits. SEPTA Transit Police officer wears a face mask in Center City Philadelphia, PA on May 8, 2020. When it comes to the real work that needs to be done on the floor, overtime always seems to be limited., SEPTA: Dire finances prevent agency from paying out COVID death benefits. It is slightly less than the . It also stretches into two other states, New Jersey and Delaware. Under the agreement, both new recruits and officers already on the force will see a pay hike. Published Jun 14, 2022. Municipal finance experts say that, generally, overtime claims in excess of 20% of a base salary indicate a systemic problem. Get started with your Free Employer Profile, average salary for a Septa Police Officer is $47,809 per year in United States, salary trajectory of a Septa Police Officer, The Ultimate Job Interview Preparation Guide, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health.