Clarkstown: Safe & Secure at What Price?

Clarkstown, the jurisdiction which includes Upper Nyack, ranks in the top ten safest places to live in the U.S. But according to stories in the Journal News and the New York Times, that security comes at a high cost.

The New York Times reports that one out of every four dollars in Clarkstown’s $130 million budget goes to police salaries. The town’s police chief and two captains earn more than $310,000 a year. That’s more than what NYC police captains earn — their pay ranges from about $108,00 to $136,000 after four years.  According to the Journal News, police employees owned the top 50 spots in a ranking of salaried Clarkstown employees, averaging about $200,000 a year for this group.

Sources: New York Times, Journal News