Through a deal between the city and police officers, nine new police vehicles will be added to Fort Thomas’ police fleet. The additional vehicles will bring the total number of cars to 26, giving every officer their own vehicle, which they can take home between shifts.
The deal, however, involved the dissolving of the current employment contract between the police and the city, thus making the police personnel nonrepresented city employees. The move resulted in changes in compensation and benefits, but no officers would lose pay.
Police officers approached the city with the deal because they wanted every officer to be able to have their own cruiser to use and take home between shifts, said city administrator Matt Kremer.
The contract, negotiated with the Fraternal Order of Police, had included language preventing police from obtaining more vehicles unless all other contracted employees also would receive one. This could not be done in the city’s budget, he said.
By agreeing to end their contract and becoming city staff, the city could purchase the additional vehicles for the officers. The money for the vehicles will come from the city’s general fund budget.
The city will use the state’s purchasing system to obtain the new vehicles.