Those close to negotiations real or imagined that are now ongoing all agree – some headway is being made between all the important parties to finally negotiate a contract with the city.
Differences of opinion on tactics not withstanding, divisions in the ranks put aside, patrolmen and senior officers altogether agree – the police should have a new contract.
We agree with that assessment as well.
The only difference of opinion is not between the newspaper and the police and has nothing to do with tactics.
The difference of opinion is between the police negotiators and the city manager, who does the negotiations for the city.
The clear difference of opinion is this: how much of a raise can the city afford and how will that coincide with what the police are hoping to get?
Somewhere between those two places is where the nexus of the negotiation lies.
Sooner or later, the two sides will come to an agreement.
The final agreement will be a reflection of what the police want and what the city can afford.
That’s the bottom line.