San Diego Area...Whats UP with the pay?

[phxsundevil19]

can anyone tell me why the San Diego area is so underpaid? it seems like San Diego PD is rock bottom on pay, while the cost of living is enormous???

[willowdared]

It's called the sunshine tax.

People should be so grateful they live here, they pay extra for everything. ;)

[ElDiabloJoe]

That's funny! I thought it was because of all the dirty breakfast foods. You know, the Sandy Eggos.

EDJ

[phxsundevil19]

lol take the sunshine tax and shove it up the *** lol. give those guys better pay!

[ask80]

well i'm sure you know san diego is going through big financial problems. no pay raises, cut in benefits, etc. that's why the low pay.

[willowdared]

San Diego PD is not the only agency in the county.

Chula Vista is the second biggest city in the county...they pay good. And there is San Diego Sheriff's...the cheif law enforcement agency of the county.

[willowdared]

I forgot to add, the annual influx of "Zoni's" every year does lower our quality of life somewhat. ;)

[nobody33]

The San Diego area has historically paid less than other areas of So cal (with similar costs of living). SDPD was paid decent for a while in the late 90's (It's never paid in the top tier). SDSO is paid ok... but is paid less than every other SO or large PD in so cal barring ICSO and SDPD.

This doesn't only apply to LE... civilians in non LE private jobs in SD are paid less than other areas of So Cal too. I don't know why that's just the way it is. It is catching up though. It may have already.

SDPD has it's issues which are well documented on the POA website and in prior threads here so i won't go into that. I don't know why SDSO pays crummy. They even paid their trainees less than SDPD trainees until the last academy to graduate. Their new contract isn't very good either. It's better than the dirt SDPD gets though.

Thankfully, agencies like Chula Vista, Oceanside, La Mesa, and Escondido have all recently got very good contracts which bring them up to other areas in SO Cal. That is really putting pressure on SDPD. (That and since no one can afford to live in this county anymore-- they can go to agencies in the Inland Empire right down the street from their homes). SDPD is in negations and will be getting an raise in July. Rumors are 10%... but we are 25% behind the average.. and 50% behind the top.


The sunshine tax comment was a real quote from former Mayor (later governor) Pete Wilson.. back when SDPD was going through the same thing in the late 70's early 80's and the City was losing cops left and right over pay then. Wilson said 10% of cop's pay was in sunshine. He also said firefighters were overpaid leaf rakers. His old advisers are the new advisers to the current Mayor. So the situation is pretty grim imho.

I still like it here though. It's not about the pay for me (i'm single thou). I worked for another agency up north that was the top paid in the country for a while on policepay.net. Everyone there was miserable from micromanagement and corruption. SD is god's country in comparison.

[beachcop05]

SDPD's not going to get a 10% raise in July, they're talking maybe 4%...if that. And even 4% isn't nearly what officers lost in paycuts, which is 7%. And they're now talking about not letting officers take the 5500 $ you get for medical in cash anymore.

And a top step SDSO deputy makes just about the same as a top step SDPD officer, but the difference is the Sheriff's Dept has better o.t. oppurtunities, and better benefits and medical.

[willowdared]

And a top step SDSO deputy makes just about the same as a top step SDPD officer, but the difference is the Sheriff's Dept has better o.t. oppurtunities, and better benefits and medical.

They can also wear Stetson's! :D That's worth something!

The "sunshine tax" has been around for ages. I moved here in 1974, and remember my Mother's shock at seeing houses selling for $35,000!!!! And they didn't even have a basement!!!! And while the minimum wage scale has trended higher here, the average wage scales, even for corporate executives, has skewed lower. It's one of the main reasons San Diego has been unable to attract corporations to relocate.

The perks? Unlike LA and Orange Counties...it's pretty easy to get to the beach, no matter where you live.

[ask80]

and there's some good mexican food in SD. carne asada fries.. yum yum