Pittsburgh to levy hourly surcharge for off-duty police

The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH --

The city will impose a $3.85 hourly surcharge for anyone who hires its off-duty police officers for other details.

The fee will be paid by businesses and other entities, from churches to pro sports teams, that hire police for traffic, crowd control and other security details. The fee is in addition to whatever hourly wage the officers agree to accept for the work.

The city's police union wanted the city to impose a lower fee because Fraternal Order of Police president James Malloy said businesses might hire security or police from other agencies to save money.

But Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said the city needs the extra money to pay for wear and tear on police uniforms and equipment, as well as workers compensation claims and lawsuits, like a recent $200,000 settlement the city paid in a police brutality suit that stemmed from an officer's off-duty security work.

A police study two years ago showed the city could collect about $500,000 dollars from such a fee.