Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman and his command staff are returning their pay raises to the city this year because rank-and-file police officers received no salary increase.
The command staff was scheduled to receive a 2 percent salary increase this year. The increase would have brought Whitman’s base salary up to $135,840, but for the second year in a row he returned his pay increase.
His annual pay for this year will be $133,176, the amount he was scheduled to receive last year, when he returned a 3.9 percent pay increase.
His deputy chiefs will be paid $123,888 this year. His division chiefs will receive $117,984, and his commanders will be paid $107,256. Last year, the chief’s command staff returned 1 percent of a 4 percent salary increase.
Arbitrator John DiFalco ruled in November that Denver cannot afford raises requested by the Police Protective Association.
The arbitrator sided with the city, which proposed no raise for police officers this year, a 2 percent raise in 2006 and a 3 percent raise in 2007.
Whitman and his command staff are scheduled to receive a 2.5 percent increase in 2006 and a 3 percent increase in 2007, unless they opt to return those raises as well.
The safety committee of the Denver City Council on Wednesday forwarded to the full City Council the decision by the police command staff to return the salary increases.
Staff writer Christopher N. Osher can be reached at 303-820-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com.
