The Broome County Supreme Court will now be hearing the dispute between the Village of Endicott and its police union over minimum staffing levels. The police union says the ability for police officers to adequately perform their duties in the community is at stake without a reasonable amount of positions. The Endicott Police Benevolent Association says that seven positions vacated by voluntary retirements, if unfilled, contradict the terms of the collective bargaining agreement with the village. Seven officers this year took voluntary retirement packages offered by the village to eligible employees to help offset a $1.8 million budget gap in the coming year. The initiative helped save $1 million in payroll and reduced the department to 28 officers. The terms of the union’s contract requires at least 35 officers. According to the village, the financial strain of filling those positions makes it no longer possible. The police department expects to maintain its current ranks for the foreseeable future as the dispute is resolved.
