METHUEN — In 2024, almost a dozen local police officers made $250,000 or more, with one captain receiving $320,000, according to payroll information.
City officials have released a report detailing not just base salaries but total pay for all city employees for the previous year. High or mid-ranking officers in the Methuen Police Department topped the list in stark contrast with nonpublic safety oriented city jobs.
One captain made double his regular salary through a combination of overtime, a boost for having a college degree, longevity, and other factors; but most of all police details.
Such details — paid for by the companies, not taxpayers and not factored into the city’s budget — are necessary for public safety, according to Police Chief Scott McNamara.
He said such high pay is not the case for most of the department’s roughly 100 officers, who are encouraged to have personal lives. McNamara said his officers were “compensated fairly,” though conceded their pay is on the higher end.
“The average officer works a very measured schedule,” he added. “We encourage our officers to be well-rounded.”
Capt. Kristopher McCarthy made $71,000 of his $320,000 pay thanks to police details. McNamara, who made roughly $247,000, said the majority of details are for the many construction projects going on in the city with the details paid for by companies like Verizon.
Costs associated with the needed police details are usually included in the contracts for the projects so taxpayers could still technically be footing the bill on city or federally funded projects or through higher utility costs.
Other major boosts, sometimes in the tens of thousands of dollars, typically include college degree bonuses, overtime and holiday pay.
One MPD sergeant earned $300,000, three times his base pay. Sgt. Thomas McMenamon made more than $40,000 in overtime, around $80,000 in detail pay and about $30,000 for having a college degree.
According to the most recent union contracts for patrol officers and superior officers, this fiscal year police earn $66 per hour for non-city police details and $61 per hour for city details. High-ranking officers also receive 120% boost for city details and 132% for private details that they are assigned to command. Police are paid double the regular rate for working on Sundays, holidays or between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.
Officers are limited to 80 hours of work per week, unless they receive a waiver from the chief or their designee. McNamara said waivers are rarely granted and only for emergencies. Police are also limited to working up to 20 hours in a 24-hour period, unless in case of emergency.
“These rules promote work-life balance, but some officers voluntarily work extra details for personal or financial goals. Waivers are rare, used only for emergencies, and we monitor hours to prevent burnout and ensure effectiveness,” he said.
With so many construction projects going on at the same time, McNamara said the city has had to bring in officers from neighboring communities to work details. He said younger police officers tend to want to work less extra hours.
Dennis Galvin, a retired State Police major and president of the Massachusetts Association for Professional Law Enforcement, said the high usage of police details or overtime is not unique to Methuen. Galvin, an advocate for police reform, said the pressures caused by the extra hours raise some concerns.
“How many hours are these individuals working and what kind of physical condition are they in as a result of these long hours?” he asked.
Galvin said those long hours are especially concerning with a greater emphasis being placed on de-escalation, which he said requires officers to be highly alert.
“If you have been working 16 hours a day consistently, I would call into question your capacity to be able to apply those techniques effectively,” he said.
In the union contract for patrol officers, the city agrees not to use or allow the use of any “flag personnel” and that police will be assigned to any activity that the chief of police deems requires a detail for public safety. McNamara said the provision was negotiated years ago when municipalities across the state were looking at potentially replacing police with civilian flaggers.
“Past efforts to replace police with civilian flaggers failed due to Massachusetts’ prevailing wage laws and the unique value officers provide. Police on details are a force multiplier, managing traffic while responding to emergencies like accidents or crimes, something flaggers can’t do,” he said. “Their training and authority ensure safer work zones, with studies showing fewer injuries when police are present. Flaggers, while useful in some cases, lack this versatility, and cost savings are minimal due to wage laws. Officers enhance safety citywide.”
Degrees are also a large piece of police pay.
McCarthy was able to earn an additional roughly $44,000, due to having a degree. In Methuen police are paid an additional 10% of base wages for having an associates degree, 20% for bachelors and 25% for masters degrees. For high-ranking officers, a master’s degree in mental health or law degrees adds an extra 30%, according to their latest contract.
McNamara said college incentives for officers were previously subsidized by the state, but are locally funded now.
McNamara said the incentives allow Methuen to attract highly qualified transfers from other departments. Hiring experienced officers, he said, saves the city time and money for training, which can cost up to $100,000 and take more than a year for new officers.
College incentives are predicted to equal around 9% of the police budget in the coming year. Longevity and holiday pay each amount to about 3% respectively.
Galvin said degrees should be expected of officers.
While he is critical of some norms surrounding overtime and police details, he said his organization supports paying police officers enough so that they can afford a home and live a “fairly comfortable life” from the salary alone.
“You shouldn’t have to be using details to pay your bills,” he said.
One patrol officer listed in the payroll made roughly $67,000 in base pay and $86,000 in detail pay.
McCarthy made an additional $19,000 through longevity.
While there is no evidence of any overtime fraud, according to McNamara, Galvin said that is generally his first concern. He said issues can arise depending on the power of the police in a community and their relationship with and the power of, the chief executive.
“And the concern is basically corruption,” he said. “You look back at American history and policing and there is a long history of that relationship leading to serious corruption.”
Bloated police pay has been an issue in Methuen in the past, notably in 2017 when language boosting officers salaries was added in the last minute of contract negotiations without the knowledge of city officials, according to the city.
Since then the department has undergone reform including under McNamara, who joined the department in 2021. Additionally, the city has launched other measures, beyond the payroll data, to promote fiscal transparency like a new budget dashboard.
The full payroll report can be found here: cityofmethuen.net/886/Annual-Payroll-Reports