Payroll computer system cuts Detroit police officers' pay too soon

Detroit police officers receive short paychecks despite court's order not to impose 10 percent cuts yet

DETROIT – A Detroit police officer, who is not supposed to talk to a reporter, has done just that.

The officer is angered after receiving a short paycheck and more frustrated by a classic Detroit problem: Ever-flexible rules.

"Not much you can do about it, you know," the officer said. "Upset about it, you know, but you just gotta pay your bills the best way you can. Maybe somebody gets paid this month and maybe you don't. You gotta wait."

The city of Detroit told a Circuit Court judge, who had ordered a freeze on the 10 percent pay cut the city tried to impose this past week, that he would have to wait. That's because the city's human resources department could not move quickly enough to stop the pay cuts in its computerized payroll system.

So, despite the judge's ruling, the cuts have arrived. There is no question, considering what the Detroit cops face each day and night, they ought to get top dollar. However, the city is beyond broke and now the men and women in blue toil in the violent trenches with financial worries weighing on their minds.

Detroit is fighting its Police Department all the way, saying it needs the cuts it's imposing to get the city solvent. For the time being, the city is doing nothing with its payroll department to restore the money. The money which a judge said should be in the police officers' hands.


About the Author:

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Plannerâ„¢ Professional.