Local police officers collect thousands in police detail pay

Local police officers have pulled in tens of thousands of dollars a year standing watch on private details at utility and road construction projects, and they show no sign of backing off despite a call by Governor Deval Patrick to curb the practice, according to a series of stories in the Globe's regional editions.

In Burlington, a lieutenant netted $48,640 in a single year in detail pay, for a take-home haul of $189,278, the Globe found in a review of communities northwest of Boston. Of top earners in Arlington, two patrolmen collected more than $39,000 in 2007 on details.

In Lynn, a police officer netted $65,689 in 2007, swelling his take-home pay to $150,729, according to this Globe North story.

In the same year, in Beverly, a captain collected nearly $38,000 in detail pay, giving him a total yearly take of more than $156,000, while a Saugus patrolman made more in details, at $53,086, than in his base pay of $49,584.

Thanks largely to an impressive $68,280 in detail pay, Newton police officer James McCarthy earned $147,207 during the fiscal year that ended this summer - or about 50 percent more than Newton Mayor David B. Cohen's annual salary. He is one of 36 Newton police employees who pushed their yearly pay over the $100,000 mark by working paid details last year, according to city records reviewed for this Globe West story.

A Natick police officer, Christopher Salis, 38, earned $129,022 during the same fiscal year, just a few thousand dollars less than Town Administrator Martha White, thanks in large part to $39,216 in detail pay. And Salis wasn't alone; a dozen other members of the town's Police Department pulled down six-figure salaries with help from details.

In Waltham, meanwhile, 28 members of the force earned six-figure salaries by working details, including Patrolman Gerard Corbett. He made $44,138 in detail pay, helping push his yearly earnings to $121,423, according to records provided by the city.

Patrick has pushed through new rules tightening use of police officers on details for state projects, and switching to civilian flaggers for some state jobs. But at the local level, police chiefs northwest of Boston defend the use of officers on details and vow to continue the practice in their communities.

"There are documented instances where police on details have saved a life by doing CPR, or catching a suspect, or preventing a crime," said Burlington Police Chief Francis Hart. "That's not their main function on a detail, but that's an added benefit that you wouldn't have typically with a civilian.''

For news and information in Newton, Waltham and Needham, go to boston.com/yourtown.