Dormont Police Union Attorney Claims Department Understaffed

Dormont police officers who took home far more than their base pay last year – in one case, nearly double – were forced to work overtime because the borough refused to hire officers, according to a police union attorney.

“They magnified their own problems by failing to replace officers that have left,” D. Scott Lautner, who represents the Dormont Police Association, said of borough officials.

The department has a chief, four sergeants and eight patrol officers.

The borough is down at least two officers, Lautner said.

“You have officers on this list who have made more money than they wanted to. They’d have rather been at home with their wives and kids,” he said.

Lautner was referring to an Friday that listed base and total pay for each of Dormont’s 31 full time employees.

Sgt. James Burke, a 24-year veteran, was the borough's top paid employee, earning nearly $146,000 last year. Another sergeant, Ralf Zawischa, made more than $131,000 and patrolman Tom Madden made over $108,400.

By contrast, Chief Phil Ross made about $99,900 and the borough's lowest-paid full-time employee, the police secretary, made about $27,700, according to borough records.

Burke earned a base salary of $75,468 - the same for all four Dormont sergeants.

Overtime, holiday pay, longevity pay, education pay and selling back unused sick and vacation time can add to an employee’s pay.

But gross pay doesn’t reflect the true cost to the borough, Lautner said.

The borough can be reimbursed for overtime work, such as when police work school events or traffic details for construction projects.

“Yes, they were paid, but it didn’t cost the taxpayers that amount,” Lautner said.

Lautner spoke Friday to the Dormont-Brookline Patch at the police department with Burke and two other officers present.

Lautner, who would not allow the interview to be recorded, told this reporter he was not to contact the police at home or ask them questions anywhere, including crime or accident scenes.

He said information must come through him or the proper channels.

The police, he said, would not be talking to any media outlet, not just the Dormont-Brookline Patch.

However, police did speak with WTAE on Sunday about a couple being charged with child endangerment.

Messages left for Lautner and the police Sunday night and Monday were not returned.