East Haven Mayor Discounts Top Police Union Official's Concerns (Corrected)

East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. on Thursday discounted a claim by a top police union official that the Police Department’s contract that requires new police recruits to sign agreements that they will remain with the Police Department for three years violates state law. 

"The Town's position is that the agreements are valid, enforceable, and not contrary to law. Our Town's Labor Counsel, Atty. Frank Kolb, has indicated that pursuant to C.G.S. Sec. 31-51r(c), the agreements have been developed and entered into with the knowledge and understanding of the employees' bargaining representative,” Maturo said in a statement released to the media Thursday morning.

“However, more importantly, because of the Town's massive investment in training and cutting edge technology at the Police Department, applicants are actively seeking to become part of the East Haven Police Department family. The Department is rapidly becoming one of 'choice' rather than one to 'avoid.'  As a result, the need for the pre-employment agreements is likely to become a moot topic shortly anyway,” Maturo added in his statement. 

The New Haven Register and reporter Evan Lips wrote a story late Wednesday night quoting a top Connecticut Police Union official who claims the requirement East Haven is asking recruits to remain in town violates state law. 

The town required new recruits to stay with the Police Department for three years after five new officers bolted the department, and it costs the town approximately $100,000 per recruit for training costs, the Register reports.