FOTP Lodge 109 leaders sought a meeting with SEPTA management to discuss pay earlier in the spring. It comes as lawmakers have already ended elements of the emergencies that kept millions of Americans insured during the pandemic. Robberies and aggravated assaults were up 80% from 2019 to 2021, according to the Inquirer, despite or perhaps furthered by a sharp decline in ridership during the pandemic. 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. Also on Sunday, at 15th Street Station, a man was robbed at gunpoint an incident Bervine said was "overshadowed" by the amount of crime SEPTA saw over the weekend. Subscribe for the why behind this story and others that matter in the Philly region. It'll take only two years for them . Under the agreement, SEPTA also will shorten the time it takes to reach the top pay rate for patrol officers, about $71,000, to 24 months from the current nine years. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? Hourly pay at Septa ranges from an average of $18.44 to $41.41 an hour. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Officials Investigate Video of SEPTA Police Hitting and Using Taser on Woman - NBC10 Philadelphia Skip to content Trending Watch NBC10 24/7 on Roku, Peacock Phillies Spring Training Philly. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. Some riders question if this is the best way to do that. 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. Ridership and revenue are both way down and the agency is considering service cuts. The agency also believes transit officers should be rewarded for their hard work, spokesperson Andrew Busch said. Septa employees attributed a compensation and benefits rating of 4.1/5 stars to their company. Reports of aggravated assault and robbery on SEPTA soared during the pandemic as ridership fell, California residents do not sell my data request. Nice to see you. The lowest-paying job at Septa is a Customer Service Representative with a salary of $36,718 per year. The SEPTA police are commissioned by the Pennsylvania governor, and when its fully staffed its the fifth largest police department in the state, according to the agency. SEPTA manager was arrested over an alleged overtime fraud scheme, that rocked New Yorks Metropolitan Transportation Authority, like one at the heart of an ongoing FBI probe, WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor, sensitive maintenance on SEPTAs Market-Frankford Line cars, declined to pay out additional death benefits to workers. They reached agreement on raises after about six weeks of talks. All rights reserved. Call SEPTA Transit Police at (215) 580-8111 or text (215) 234-1911. A man sought in connection with multiple sexual assaults, including the rape reported last weekend on SEPTA's Broad Street Line, was taken into custody by Philadelphia police Wednesday morning, officials said. 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. Tensions over the state of security on SEPTA appear to be reaching a head. Last month, SEPTA and the union for SEPTAs transit police, FOP Lodge 109, reached an agreement to raise salaries, effective June 19. SEPTAs transit system is in Philadelphia and four Pennsylvania counties Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks and Chester. Two other SEPTA cops, Officer Floyd Whitaker and Sgt. But some of the top earners were not workers responding to emergencies on the tracks, but rather the frontline managers who supervise those laborers. Several high-profile incidents rocked the system last year, including a rape on a train that was caught on camera, a brutal attack by teens on a student of Asian descent, and shootings near or inside several busy transit hubs. Rookies who have graduated from the police academy will earn $62,387 before overtime, up from $49,387, under an agreement between SEPTA management and the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109. Others said the generous overtime payouts had warped the transit agencys workplace culture. The SEPTA Transit Police Department was founded in 1981. It comes down to checking on him and checking on the work to see that the quality is where it needs to be.. Thanks for your tweet and service to the city. *Must possess a high school diploma or GED, *Must pass the Pennsylvania State (MPOETC) physical fitness requirements. The estimated base pay is $56,219 per year. Oh said the problem wasn't the position but the pay. But Joe Coccio, secretary-treasurer with Transport Workers Union Local 234, which represents many blue-collar SEPTA workers, said its because managers have a stronger say in how overtime hours are assigned. Amid a public outcry about increased crime and antisocial behavior on the regions public transit system and difficulty recruiting and hiring candidates for SEPTAs police force, the transit agency has agreed to raise starting pay for officers a stunning 25%. SEPTA Transit Police Officers are responsible for policing the entire regional SEPTA system, covering an area of five Pennsylvania counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia) and three states (Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority pays those in the bottom 10 percent $24,000 a year, and the top 10 percent over $72,000. A police narrative of people watching a man rape a woman was 'not true', but it still ran wild in the press - similar to a 1964 murder that prompted the 'bystander effect' It is slightly less than the . The estimated base pay is $56,219 per year. The job of a SEPTA transit officer can be dangerous, too. So that means that this was a SEPTA police officer who was making more than the chief of SEPTA Police, Thomas Nestel and just a little bit less than the mayor, Jim Kenney. In-depth, original reporting on housing, transportation, and development. Still, Zarrinkelk acknowledges that many riders feel safer when they see SEPTA police at stations and on vehicles. PHILADELPHIA MASS SHOOTING: VICTIMS IDENTIFIED BY POLICE, INCLUDING MENTOR TO YOUNG BOYS. Be contacted by a dispatcher to obtain additional information. 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. The union that represents SEPTA workers fought for a $500,000 death benefit a payout that New Yorks MTA provided over the summer. 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 increasing levels of violent crime and other chronic problems, such as drug use and homelessness, would-be SEPTA transit police recruits are more inclined to pursue what they consider potentially less demanding jobs elsewhere, with better pay. Philadelphia, PA 19107 Omari Bervine, president of the FOP Lodge 109 the union for SEPTA transit police has pointed to understaffing as the root of this issue. Municipal finance experts say that, generally, overtime claims in excess of 20% of a base salary indicate a systemic problem. SEPTA police officers gathered outside Temple University Hospital in early April after a transit officer was shot and wounded in Frankford. pic.twitter.com/ZJWy9sZedj. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has reached a deal on a new contract proposal with the Fraternal Order of Transit Police union to offer "the most significant increase in salary in more than 20 years" for SEPTA Transit Police Department officers, according to a letter from the FOTP obtained by FOX 29. By continuing to use and navigate this website, you are agreeing to the use of cookies. "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. Before he stepped down the day after July Fourth, Thomas Nestel III had served as chief of the SEPTA Transit Police for nearly 10 years. Below, meet 20 SEPTA workers on the front lines, continuing their duties so Philadelphians who need to can still get around. Local news should be free and accessible, which is why we ask readers like you to support our work rather than charging a fee to see it. The average Septa salary ranges from approximately $36,718 per year for a Customer Service Representative to $111,809 per year for a Project Manager. We know people will see the numbers, and some will look big in relation to what someones base salary is, Busch said. SEPTAs top cop retired abruptly last week, following a period of low ridership and increasing safety issues on the Philadelphia transit system, which has the fifth-largest police force in Pennsylvania. CBS3's Jan Carabeo contributed to this report. Each of the five counties SEPTA services can appoint two seats. There are three patrol districts, allowing officers to easily respond to emergencies while empowering them to quickly make decisions and address local issues. Our customers can only realize transits affordability, equity, and sustainability benefits if they feel comfortable riding on SEPTA, which is why were committed to doing everything we can to keep our system safe, the authority said in a statement. These units receive an additional level of training and provide specialized support in policing a public transit system. If you need to report an emergency or suspicious situation and you do not have phone or call box access, notify a vehicle operator, conductor or booth attendant immediately. It also stretches into two other states, New Jersey and Delaware. Average SEPTA Police Officer yearly pay in Philadelphia is approximately $50,000, which is 8% below the national average. "But it's common sense that having more officers present on SEPTA will make people think twice about committing crimes. Its a lack of integrity, accountability and trust, starting from the top.. Market data provided byFactset. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Visit PayScale to research Septa salaries, bonuses, reviews, benefits, and more! A sweeping pay increase in SEPTA's fight to improve safety as transit police officers brace for the largest salary boost in two decades. 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. He threatened to withhold $10 million from the $100 million City Council gives SEPTA in order for changes to be made. All tips can be kept confidential. Thats a payout that New Yorks MTA provided over the summer to all the families of employees who had died working for that transit agency. In 2015, the agency settled a class-action lawsuit for $13.1 million over claims the agency had forced employees to perform pre-shift work without compensation. The stabbing victims are expected to recover and no updates have been provided on the status of investigations into these incidents. The union said the goal of the salary increases was to be more competitive with pay "in an effort to boost our dangerously low officer staffing levels" at SEPTA. The threat of crime has not helped in bringing the public back to routine use of SEPTA. The new salaries are expected to be in place by June 19. Ridership and revenue are both way down and the agency is considering service cuts. Eltor Sumpter, also earned about as much or more than the top transit law enforcement official. (function() {var phplive_e_1497314496 = document.createElement("script"); phplive_e_1497314496.type = "text/javascript"; phplive_e_1497314496.async = true; phplive_e_1497314496.src = "https://customerservice.septa.org/chat/js/phplive_v2.js.php?v=0|1497314496|2|"; document.getElementById("phplive_btn_1497314496").appendChild( phplive_e_1497314496 );})(); Copyright 2023 SEPTA. The salary trajectory of a Septa Police Officer ranges between locations and employers. Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes not that were counting. Worse thing is taking so long to get to it., Very minimal what you have to pay and that includes family plan. The estimated additional pay is $4,578 per year. FY 2021-2022 Police Sworn Salary Structure Effective December 1, 2021 through November 30, 2022 Green Grade Rank Level Range Min Zone Min Control Point Zone Max Range Max P09 Police Chief 116,257 139,508 155,009 170,510 193,761 P08 Deputy Chief 89,429 107,314 119,238 131,162 149,048 P07 Police Captain 74,524 89,429 99,365 109,302 124,206 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. RYAN: I think that when you you look at these stories, you look at SEPTA saying, We just dont have the money to pay out death benefits. You look where SEPTA is headed because of COVID-19 into an area where theyre saying we might have to make critical service cuts and potentially layoffs. https://t.co/8V9wGa9R57 pic.twitter.com/LUu12tif2w. As the transit police struggled with understaffing, union officials pointed to pay as a major sticking point in recruiting, with salaries for SEPTA transit police officers falling $10-15k below Philadelphia Police Department and NJ Transit police salaries. Nestel referred all questions to SEPTA public relations. As a matter of fact, I hope it will help," Lynn Watson said. Amid staffing shortages, SEPTA has been bringing in outside contractors to help address safety concerns. 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. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. They would call a guy like me in, a union guy, to justify that a man needed supervision. A transit police officer waits for the Broad Street Line to stop at Erie station, so he can rouse a homeless person sleeping on the train in Philadelphia, PA, on April 1, 2020.