SEPTA ridership has not yet recovered from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, which greatly reduced the number of workers relying on transit in favor of remote work. Riders of SEPTAs Market-Frankford Line have complained on social media of rampant disorder: smoking, open use of IV drugs, and human waste and garbage in stations and on trains. Worse thing is taking so long to get to it., Very minimal what you have to pay and that includes family plan. In the late 60s, a special unit of the Philadelphia police was sent into transit duty, and there was some talk of creating a separate police force, but when safety issues abated, the idea fizzled. View Jobs at Septa. The officers union has long pressed that case to management. large amount of money on overtime. Compensation. The SEPTA Transit Police Department extends beyond the regular beat with units of specially trained officers. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. MICHAELA: The union claimed that SEPTA was, in fact, partially responsible for [the death of SEPTA mechanic Ted Nixon], since he likely contracted the virus at work. Love Philly? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. And I think there are workers at SEPTA [who] wonder am I getting screwed over so that a manager can can get rich off of the system that doesnt really work in the favor of the average employee? Overview Overview 285 Reviews 51 Jobs 286 Salaries 44 Interviews 50 Benefits 5 Photos. Visit PayScale to research Septa salaries, bonuses, reviews, benefits, and more! Police officer wages are heavily dependent on the cost of living in each state. But not only did [Kappler] lose their job, now theyre in the criminal justice system.. It'll take only two years for them . Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic, Visible Intermodal Protection Enforcement Response, which is meant to reduce violent crimes on transportation, Special Operations Response Team, which handles specialized situations like armed hijackings and chemical terrorism, the criminal investigations squad, which investigates anything nefarious on SEPTA property. Driving the news: SEPTA Police chief Thomas J. Nestel III signed off on the mandate for the transit agency's 213 sworn officers on Monday. Nice to see you. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role. Pay for Transit Police candidates in the police academy will jump 21% from $46,536 to $56,507, just under what Philadelphia Police Department recruits get. height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden">, SEPTA Human Resources, 1234 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 | (215) 580-7109 | (215) 580-7853 TDD/TTY. Aug 3, 2021 #SEPTA is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect wanted in an assault of a SEPTA employee. President Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11. Right now, the lack of authority gives some people the feeling that they can get away with crime.". Each of the five counties SEPTA services can appoint two seats. Complies with all Authority and departmental safety and security policies and procedures as well as all applicable job safety responsibilities. Heres a look at why Philadelphias transit system has a separate police force, and the issues theyve been facing. Under the agreement, SEPTA also will shorten the time it takes to reach the top pay rate for patrol officers, about $71,000, to 24 months from the current nine years. / CBS Philadelphia. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. The extra working hours boosted all three mens salaries to around $165,000, putting them on the same pay rung as executives like Regional Rail director John Lauser or inspector general David Bannan. In-depth, original reporting on housing, transportation, and development. The highest-paying job at Septa is a Project Manager with a salary of $111,809 per year. The transit authority has also teamed up officers with social workers in an effort to help individuals from vulnerable populations to seek housing, help with addiction and mental health services. SEPTA says the move will help it recruit and retain new officers. Know Your Worth. FY 2021-2022 Police Sworn Salary Structure Effective December 1, 2021 through November 30, 2022 Green Grade Rank Level Range Min Zone Min Control Point Zone Max Range Max P09 Police Chief 116,257 139,508 155,009 170,510 193,761 P08 Deputy Chief 89,429 107,314 119,238 131,162 149,048 P07 Police Captain 74,524 89,429 99,365 109,302 124,206 But former SEPTA employees, like Chris Coyne, werent so sure. The pandemic has thrown SEPTA into a budget crisis. The harsh reality is that nobody wants to be a SEPTA police officer," Bervine said. The numbers are what the numbers are. FAQ - New Privacy Policy. 00:00 / 01:17. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. The threat of crime has not helped in bringing the public back to routine use of SEPTA. A small number of SEPTA managers and police officers, through overtime, earned annual pay comparable to Mayor Jim Kenney and other public executives. And he earned $116,000 in overtime, which is more than his annual salary. Septa employees rate the overall compensation and benefits package 4.1/5 stars. Others said the generous overtime payouts had warped the transit agencys workplace culture. As violent attacks continue to happen on SEPTA, the city hopes this "significant boost" will help recruit and retain officers for a department that's understaffed at the moment. In two additional incidents in April, at 30th Street Station and Berks Station on the Market-Frankford Line, two people were pushed onto the subway tracks. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has reached a deal on a new contract proposal with the Fraternal Order of Transit Police union to offer "the most significant increase in salary in more than 20 years" for SEPTA Transit Police Department officers, according to a letter from the FOTP obtained by FOX 29. And at the end of the fiscal year, he had earned $212,000 altogether. Spokesperson Andrew Busch chalked both police and maintenance spending up to the nature of public transit, where crime or infrastructure problems could strike at any time and staff needed to be ready to work long shifts. That includes stepped-up investments in social-service workers and security guards. The estimated additional pay is $4,578 per year. Upon completion of this training, they will attend in-service training and orientation. Get your daily rundown of Philly happenings in less than 10 minutes, Philadelphia local news: Neighborhoods, politics, food, and fun, Get Philly smart with BPs free daily newsletter. Call SEPTA Transit Police at (215) 580-8111 or text (215) 234-1911. The president of the union representing SEPTA's transit police force called the authority's recruitment challenges "self-inflicted" on Wednesday and lamented that the need for more officers requires urgent attention to combat worsening crime. When a position becomes available, candidates will be selected from this list of applicants. A 29-year-old man was stabbed in the arm at Suburban Station during a confrontation during the early morning hours on Saturday. Still, Zarrinkelk acknowledges that many riders feel safer when they see SEPTA police at stations and on vehicles. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and stay in the know. Some riders question if this is the best way to do that. One SEPTA police officer doubled his salary and made almost as much as the mayor of Philadelphia. The starting salary for rookies entering the academy will be raised from $46,536 to $56,507, and post-graduation pay will go from $49,536 to $62,387. "We know that policing is not the solution to everything," Bervine said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided byRefinitiv Lipper. The average Septa salary ranges from approximately $36,718 per year for a Customer Service Representative to $111,809 per year for a Project Manager. Our customers can only realize transits affordability, equity, and sustainability benefits if they feel comfortable riding on SEPTA, which is why were committed to doing everything we can to keep our system safe, the authority said in a statement. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. SEPTA police officers gathered outside Temple University Hospital in early April after a transit officer was shot and wounded in Frankford. A Philadelphia-area transit police department is set to implement the largest pay increase the force has seen in more than two decades in an effort to attract and maintain talent amid an officer shortage. Additional pay could include bonus, stock, commission, profit sharing or tips. SEPTA has seen a spike in criminal activity and violence along its routes in recent years. Museum for Art in Wood introduces Philly to the Islamic mashrabiya screen, Philly street sweeping starts again in April, Foal cam offers miraculous look at next generation of Pennsylvania-born race horses. The authority's budget has room for up to 260 officers, but SEPTA has fallen behind competing law enforcement agencies to hire for transit jobs that some police officers deem less appealing than other opportunities. Busch said even this apparently brutal work schedule did not necessarily raise red flags for the agency. In the past five. Here is the Kenya Police salary scale list the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) wanted to implement after pay cuts: NPSC's Kenya Police salary scale list (proposed pay cuts included). In 2019, an officers service weapon fired while holstered a flaw that had previously been seen with the Sig Sauer P320 handguns most carry. Robberies and aggravated assaults were up 80% from 2019 to 2021, according to the Inquirer, despite or perhaps furthered by a sharp decline in ridership during the pandemic. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority pays those in the bottom 10 percent $24,000 a year, and the top 10 percent over $72,000. First published on June 15, 2022 / 5:00 AM. Oh said the problem wasn't the position but the pay. The citys next mayor will need to step up its involvement, writes transit advocate Matt Sullivan. He threatened to withhold $10 million from the $100 million City Council gives SEPTA in order for changes to be made. Shapiro breaks with Dems on COVID policies in Pa. gov race. Our view on the issue, we come from a framework where we dont believe that more police and investing more money and funding into police is going to solve the issue of safety aboard SEPTA, said Yasha Zarrinkelk, manager of the advocacy coalition Transit Forward Philadelphia. How is it possible? Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. Financial records obtained by PlanPhilly and Billy Penn showed spending patterns that experts say raise serious questions about oversight, echoing a similar payroll scandal that rocked New Yorks Metropolitan Transportation Authority with federal investigations, internal audits and ongoing political battles. The pandemic has thrown SEPTA into a budget crisis. SEPTA Police Jobs Contact Transit Police Emergency Phone: (215) 580-8111 Non-Emergency Phone: (215) 580-4487 Administrative Phone: (215) 580-3641 Emergency Call Boxes in subway stations also put you in immediate contact with Transit Police. 90. And if the financial management is questionable, who knows what they could pay out for people if they did a better job? The increase comes days after two more violent attacks on a SEPTA worker and a rider. A police narrative of people watching a man rape a woman was 'not true', but it still ran wild in the press - similar to a 1964 murder that prompted the 'bystander effect' If BP helped inform you, join as a member today! It comes as lawmakers have already ended elements of the emergencies that kept millions of Americans insured during the pandemic. Phone: (215) 580-7800 "One of the biggest problems that we've had in terms of rider safety and the safety of the public is that police were leaving," Philadelphia City Councilmember David Oh said. A transit police officer waits for the Broad Street Line to stop at Erie station, so he can rouse a homeless person sleeping on the train in Philadelphia, PA, on April 1, 2020. SEPTA: Dire finances prevent agency from paying out COVID death benefits. He also underscored that this weeks arrest of frontline manager Ryan Kappler, who was dismissed in January, reflected SEPTAs commitment to rooting out overtime fraud. Rampant overtime spending. One involved a man punching a SEPTA maintenance worker and the other is wanted for stabbing a teen after a fight on a train spilled onto the platform. The unions contract expires in 2023. Nestel is a fourth-generation police officer. The average Septa hourly pay ranges from approximately $17 per hour for a Customer Service Representative to $50 per hour for an Operations Manager. This move would raise post-graduation salaries 11%, from $49,000 to $62,000. Matthew Sinkiewicz (DOB: 12/13/1983) of. Rookies who have graduated from the police academy will earn $62,387 before overtime, up from $49,387, under an agreement between SEPTA management and the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109. Kriz said workloads like his raised questions about safety for everyone involved including riders who depend on the specialist to keep subway cars in safe operating condition. SEPTA is a state agency, but its ridership is overwhelmingly from Philly. Its no secret to us that the top echelon of managers get more overtime, weve been seeing that and living that, he said. Collaborates with other law enforcement while responding to incidents. The first SEPTA Transit Police Department class started training in February 1981, and ended with 55 new officers. SEPTA Transit Police Officers are responsible for policing the entire regional SEPTA system, covering an area of five Pennsylvania counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia) and three states (Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania). All rights reserved. A pending employment lawsuit brought by a SEPTA transit police officer was a deciding factor in Nestels departure, the Inquirer reported. Its how we live. Average Salaries at SEPTA Installation & Maintenance Signal Maintainer $33.48 per hour Mechanic $27.59 per hour Maintenance Person $33.07 per hour Project Management Project Engineer $76,191 per year Project Manager $83,851 per year Program Manager $108,277 per year Driving Bus Driver $20.73 per hour Truck Driver $30.41 per hour Driver How much does Septa pay? Read what they think about their salaries on our Compensation FAQ page for , Get started with your Free Employer Profile, Bus Operator salaries - 36 salaries reported, Project Engineer salaries - 9 salaries reported, Project Manager salaries - 8 salaries reported, Transportation Manager salaries - 7 salaries reported, Bus Driver salaries - 7 salaries reported, Signal Maintainer salaries - 7 salaries reported, Engineer I salaries - 7 salaries reported, Assistant Conductor salaries - 7 salaries reported, Railroad Conductor salaries - 6 salaries reported, Maintenance Custodian salaries - 6 salaries reported, Locomotive Engineer salaries - 5 salaries reported, Customer Service Representative salaries - 5 salaries reported, Operations Manager salaries - 5 salaries reported, Assistant Director salaries - 4 salaries reported, Senior Project Engineer salaries - 4 salaries reported, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. It is slightly less than the . The agency is mulling massive service cuts and recently declined to pay out additional death benefits to workers that succumbed to the virus. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. Oh is threatening an amendment to withhold $10 million from SEPTA's budget unless more officers are hired, a position that has the full support of the transit police union, Bervine said. The transit system in Philadelphia is nearing the end of one of its most violent months in recent memory, including an alleged rape on the Broad Street Line subway last weekend, a gunpoint robbery and a pair of stabbings, among other incidents. And I think thats a legitimate question for a lot of people to ask, especially looking at overtime spending that on its face just seems kind of absurd. "But it's common sense that having more officers present on SEPTA will make people think twice about committing crimes. *Be at least 21 years of age and a U.S. citizen. One SEPTA police officer doubled his salary and made almost as much as the mayor of Philadelphia. Thats a payout that New Yorks MTA provided over the summer to all the families of employees who had died working for that transit agency. Equal parts funny and fascinating, Bullseye sifts the wheat from the chaff, and brings you hot culture picks, in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary creative people and irreverent original comedy. For veteran officers, the rate for pay bumps is also being accelerated. SEPTAs top cop retired abruptly last week, following a period of low ridership and increasing safety issues on the Philadelphia transit system, which has the fifth-largest police force in Pennsylvania. Please give today. In recent years, Nestel pulled back from fare evasion to concentrate on issues considered more serious and useful to system-wide safety, and repurposed the hashtag to those pursuits. Then, in October 1978, following a string of attacks on SEPTA personnel, the authority started renting police academy rookies from the city several dozen individuals known as the SEPTA Strike Force. Tahmir Banks, of the unit block of Beverly Avenue in East Lansdowne, was arrested and charged Friday with murder, gun violations, and related . The starting salary for a SEPTA police officer is $18 per hour. Fundraiser created to front the cost of SEPTA Key cards for asylum-seekers. Name: Charles Cole. The new salaries are expected to be in place by June 19. Since 1981, the Transit Police Department has been dedicated to keeping customers safe and secure, while protecting SEPTA property and staff. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE. On what the families of workers who died of COVID-19 asked of SEPTA. Septa pays its employees an average of $27.63 an hour. How much do Septa employees make? *Must possess a high school diploma or GED, *Must pass the Pennsylvania State (MPOETC) physical fitness requirements. Leave a comment. And now were seeing this sketchy [overtime] system where theyre paying out excessive amounts to a handful of employees. Electronic specialist Pietro Berardi, for example, earned 1,500 hours of overtime $91,000 on top of his $67,000 base salary, for a total annual haul of $159,000. An investigation was handled jointly by PPD's Special Victims Unit and SEPTA Transit Police, who reviewed surveillance footage to help identify Adams. This isnt a `rank-and-file issue. Podcast: Is Sixers' prime time game vs. Legal Statement. The average Sheriff/Police Chief salary in Berlin, NJ is $122,555 as of January 26, 2023, but the range typically falls between $115,725 and $130,001. 860 talking about this. Updated Apr 15, 2020. Just this week, a SEPTA manager was arrested over an alleged overtime fraud scheme. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. SEPTA Transit Police officer wears a face mask in Center City Philadelphia, PA on May 8, 2020. Theres no timeline in place for selecting Nestels permanent replacement and no indication of public engagement in the process but the authority will consider internal and external candidates, Busch said. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The union for SEPTA's transit police has sent a third letter to the agency's board chairman and general manager about the need to hire more officers. Due to construction s/b buses detour on 11th St SE at 295 s/b ramp, resuming regular route on Howard Rd SE at Anacostia Station. SEPTAs Recruitment Department is currently accepting applications for the position of Transit Police Officer. (Photo by Cory Clark/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images). Your field of work can impact your salary at Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority too. Charles Cole Credit: Courtesy SEPTA. Due to an accident on N Capitol St at Florida Ave NW, buses are experiencing delays. The authority replaced them with Glock 17s, which arrived after a delay. WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyones stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. The Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109, which represents SEPTA transit police officers in Philadelphia, is calling for SEPTA to improve working conditions and increase pay in order to recruit more officers. Busch said overtime spending was already down in the current fiscal year as SEPTA heads into a critical financial crisis tied to COVID-19. [But SEPTA said] that they couldnt really afford to pay a death benefit to each of the families who lost someone. Published Jun 14, 2022. Chris Zabala, a SEPTA electrician who left the agency in 2016, said that while unionized workers struggled to get their own overtime hours approved, management seemed to be able to easily game the system. Prepares investigation or incident reports. The estimated base pay is $56,219 per year. The stabbing victims are expected to recover and no updates have been provided on the status of investigations into these incidents. "Thus far we have been unable to get Ms. Richards to even meet with us, despite our numerous requests spanning several months," Bervine said. My hope is that they take a real good look at the top of the SEPTA pyramid, their policies, Coyne said. On the connection between SEPTAs overtime spending and decision on death benefits. 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The average salary for a Septa Police Officer is $47,809 per year in United States, which is 21% lower than the average Septa salary of $60,798 per year for this job. Theres more to every story if you take the time to tell it. But some rank-and-file maintenance staff also saw claims that raised questions at the very least, about worker safety. "In just the past five years, we have lost over 100 officers to resignations, almost all of whom have left to take police officer positions with departments offering higher salaries, better benefits and better working conditions," said Omari Bervine, president and CEO of the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109.