Staties still racking up OT pay

The state police payroll jumped by almost $12 million last year, new figures show, with some troopers doubling their pay with overtime shifts. The force was ranked among the top five most expensive departments in the state, according to newly released payroll data. The overall state police budget climbed to $355.26 million in 2018, up by $62 million over the year before. The budget hike comes as Col. Kerry Gilpin rolls out reforms after an overtime scandal that has implicated about 46 troopers, with some already having pleaded guilty to OT fraud. State police have assumed direct funding for Troop F, which protects Logan International Airport and other port facilities from Massport, according to department spokesman Dave Procopio. He also said detail pay — “paid by the private company or agency hiring the detail” — is also a factor. Overtime pay is actually down by approximately $1 million, but “other pay” — which can include stipends, bonus pay, awards, professional development and details — has increased by $2 million, payroll records show. But scores of state police officers still took home more than $200,000 in gross pay last year — with many logging massive extra shifts. For example, one officer earned $287,337 last year, records show. His base pay was $131,716. There are numerous other examples in the state’s payroll database posted on the Herald’s website. It’s a troubling trend Mary Connaughton, an analyst at Pioneer Institute, said is still out of whack. “While the Department has made improvements,” she said, “it’s remarkable that some officers are still earning more overtime than base pay.”