WARREN — Nine of the 10 highest-paid town workers in 2006 were police officers, most of whom supplemented their base salaries with overtime along with detail work for private companies.

The only person on the list not in the Police Department was Town Manager Michael Abbruzzi, the top appointed official in Warren’s town government yet only the ninth-highest earner.

The findings are based on a Journal survey in which all Rhode Island cities and towns were asked last year to provide payroll information for all their employees from 2006.

None of Warren’s town workers broke the $100,000 barrier. The top wage-earner was Patrolman Christopher A. Perrault who was paid $88,660.32, nearly twice his base salary of $47,566.65. He took home $31,866.39 in overtime charged to the town and another $9,227.18 in detail pay, which was paid by businesses, not by taxpayers, and stipends.

It was a similar story for nearly every other officer on the list. For example, Sgt. Roy Borges ranked second on the list with a salary of $80,714.58. That figure includes $16,375.2 in overtime and $12,442.24 in detail pay and stipends. Or take Patrolman Randy F. Bryant at number three. Like Perrault, he almost doubled his base salary of $42,958.56 by earning $32,390.03 in overtime and $3,870.03 in detail pay and stipends.

The reason for the overtime is due in part to the Police Department’s relatively slim staffing. When officers go out on long-term leave for injuries or other reasons, it means others have to fill their shifts. The town has consistently paid a total of $200,000 a year in overtime to its officers, according to Abbruzzi.

Although Chief Thomas Gordon has requested hiring additional officers, Abbruzzi said it’s cheaper to have officers already on the payroll work extra shifts.

The only member of the Police Department in the top 10 who didn’t earn more by working extra hours was Chief Gordon. He was paid $76,597.03, including $14,063.65 in additional payments. A good chunk of the supplemental pay was a $6,360.90 longevity bonus.

If The Journal survey was done earlier than 2006, there’s a good chance Abbruzzi would not have even made the list. When he started working for the town in February 2002, he agreed to forgo raises for the first four years of his employment and was paid an annual salary of $65,000.

It wasn’t until February 2006, that Abbruzzi was given his first raise, a 3 percent increase that took his salary for that year up to $66,650. He has gotten two raises, of 3.5 percent each, since then.

On the 2006 list, the 10th-highest wage-earner was Lt. Joseph R. Loiselle. He was paid $66,571.09, including overtime and pay for details.

Compiled by Paul Edward Parker

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL

Source: Town of Warren

akuffner@projo.com