Contract dispute takes toll on Yale police ranks

By Joshua Marks

FILE PHOTO Officer Andrew Mathews left the force in January, frustrated with the pace of contract talks.

Andrew Mathews, former vice president of Yale's Police Benevolent Association (YPBA), left the department in January. "My frustration was to get a fair and equitable contract," he said. "As vice president and a police officer, I got frustrated because we asked for less or equal of what other forces were getting and they outright refused to give it to us. When you are that small and Yale is that large, there's not that much you can do."

Mathews, who came to Yale's force in April 1994, said that eight officers left during his time and did not return, and he predicted more losses from Yale's current recruiting class. Except for three who joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, all the officers Mathews mentioned left for local or state police forces.

According to YPBA Treasurer Chris Morganti, the departures are linked to issues at the heart of the current labor dispute. "The overwhelming reason is about the benefits.... Most people who leave Yale go to police departments with better benefits."

Mathews also cited other reasons for his departure. "I felt I was limited at Yale [by] the environment we worked in." Matthews, who is now a recruit for the Connecticut State Police Academy, also alleged that the University prioritizes quantity over quality in hiring. "Yale doesn't particularly care who they retain, but that's not what police work's about," he said.

Former officer Dave Johnson also left Yale over frustration with the officers' contract a few years ago and said that the Yale Administration's treatment of its officers directly affects the turnover rate. "There's a tremendous turnover.... When Yale starts treating its police officers not like custodians, maybe they'll start keeping more officers," Johnson, who is now a patrol officer at the Branford Police Department, said. "They want a police force, yet they don't want to compensate the officers. You can't have your cake and eat it, too." He further speculated that Yale stands to lose more officers because of the contract battles. "Your employer is sending signals that you're not a cop," he said.Tom Conroy, deputy director of public affairs at Yale, made no indication that there is anything abnormal about the number of officers leaving. "I think there is turnover within any employment unit at Yale. There's always going to be turnover, whether you have a contract or not. Whether or not you consider that a problem depends on many factors," he said.

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