Ripon Common Council Approves Police Unions Contract

Ripon’s Common Council approved two-year contracts with the police department’s union this week. City Administrator Lori Rich says there will be two-percent increase in pay each of those years. She says the department will be going to a 12-hour shift beginning February 1st. She says the only exception will be the school liaison officer. She says that position will stay at an 8-hour shift because the school district contributes to half of the cost of that and working a 12-hour shift with that position wouldn’t make sense. She says the City will now pick up the full cost of the ballistic vests that officers wear. She says the City used to only cover 75 percent of the cost. Rich says the City is also dropping a residency requirement. She says before the state allowed officers to live with 15 miles of the city they served, but that requirement has been eliminated.