By JOE WOJTAS
Day Staff Columnist, Stonington/Mystic
Published on 10/14/2004
Stonington — The police department wants an officer who recently resigned to take a job with the state police to repay the $16,327 spent on his training at the police academy.
Officer Nathan Charron resigned several weeks ago after having been on the force for less than two years. According to the contract between the police union and the town, any officer who resigns or is fired within two years of completing his academy training must reimburse the town 80 percent of the wages, benefits and equipment costs of the training. The contract also states the money can be taken from any pay owed the employee when he leaves.
The total spent comes to $20,409, 80 percent of which is $16,327. In a letter to Charron, Police Chief David Erskine wrote that Charron accrued $3,807 in vacation, holidays and other time. Erskine said Charron would not receive that money, which would instead be used to offset the $16,327 training bill. This would leave Charron owing the town $12,520.
The town and union agree to the provisions in the contract they signed in 2001, that the academy training and education enhances an officer's employment opportunities. The town, like others, does not want to spend money to train officers who leave soon afterward for another department.
The money was due Oct. 2, but so far Charron has not paid the town.
The police union is appealing the town's billing of Charron, arguing it violates provisions of state labor law. Police union President Tom Paige said the law requires towns to pay employees for all accrued time when they leave. Paige said the union also feels that by law the town is not entitled to the pay and benefits that Charron legitimately earned while working for the town while attending the academy.
The Board of Police Commissioners has the issue on it agenda for its 7 o'clock meeting tonight at Town Hall.
The town's labor attorney, Hal Calmar, said the town and union negotiated the contract provision in good faith and the union received other items in exchange for agreeing to it. He added that towns such a Stonington not only lose a trained officer but a substantial amount of money when a newly trained officer leaves the town.
“The town expects the union to live up to its part of the bargain and we feel the language (in the contract) is enforceable,” he said.