I read with some dismay Mr. Stone’s Feb. 12 letter regarding Simi Valley Police Officers’ retirement plan (“3 at 55 plan a budget buster”).

As I am a SVPD retiree, negotiated the contract that included 3 percent at 55 years and am currently the office manager for the POA, I feel uniquely qualified to respond to Mr. Stone’s misgivings.

First, unlike LAPD, the Simi Valley POA negotiated for this benefit with city of Simi Valley representatives. The essence of the settlement was we were to receive a specified percentage raise.

We addressed how much 3 percent at 55 was worth and agreed upon a specific percentage. Here is the key: We took the retirement package in lieu of the same percentage pay raise. In other words, the pay raise that all of us would have gotten (which is figured into retirement) we gave up in order to get 3 percent at 55 years that only those who retire from SVPD will receive.

Here is the last piece of info on that negotiation. I believe the entire current City Council and the current city manager approved this contract. Unlike the city of Los Angeles, Simi Valley and SVPOA are normally working together for the betterment of the city of Simi.

We may disagree on how to get there, but we want the same results. We do not, and hopefully never will, take into consideration the “LAPD politics” as they do not apply to our city or our police officers association.

Our association board recognizes that we have not been able to provide the citizens of Simi with our perspective and concerns on issues. As such, we are in the process of creating a new website at www.svpoa.net. The purpose is to provide information directly to the people as well as our officers.

There will be the ability for citizens to write in with questions and/or concerns such as these. I have volunteered to respond to those inquiries on behalf of the association. It is hoped that citizens will have a clearer understanding of what we do and have more impact on our perception of our citizens.

Thank you, Mr. Stone, for writing. I hope this information alleviates some of your concerns.

It might interest you to know that the SVPOA took a 6.8 percent pay cut in their last negotiations. Your officers voted their approval of that contract.
Gary Collins
Simi Valley