UF Police Officers Win $13,000 Raise After Long Negotiation Standoff!

Gainesville, Florida, USA - In a momentous shift for local law enforcement, the University of Florida (UF) and its police department have come to terms on salary negotiations that had previously stalled for over a week. This breakthrough, reached on July 15, brings with it a significant $13,000 increase in the starting base pay for police officers, raising their annual base salary to $64,000. This agreement follows a proposal from the Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA) for a $15,000 raise, highlighting the urgent need for competitive salaries among police departments.

Negotiations had been arduous, with discussions that extended for eight hours on July 7 yielding no agreement on salary increases, and a previous offer of $11,000 from UF falling short of what officers were demanding. The revelations that UFPD officers have had stagnant salaries since 2023—contributing to staffing shortages—added fuel to the fire. UFPD now finds itself among the lowest-paid university police departments in Florida, with most others in the state offering at least $61,000, drawing attention to the growing issues of safety and staffing.

Details of the Agreement

According to Gainesville.com, the new contract will also grant an $8,875 raise for police communications officers (PCOs), with both officers and PCOs poised to receive a 3% raise in their second and third years of service. The previous base salary for the officers, which was reported to be $50,000, had caused confusion in the past. PBA negotiator George Corwine pointed out discrepancies in job postings that listed the starting base salary at $50,007.60, while UF’s financial management stated it was slightly higher. This led to an agreement to ensure that future job postings will include the accurate starting base salary to prevent misunderstandings.

The negotiations were tumultuous, with tensions boiling over as UF’s latest offer failed to meet the expectations of the officers. They were aware that UFPD salaries had not kept pace with inflation and the demands of their roles, especially given that only 69 out of 89 positions were filled, creating safety concerns for UF’s large student body of 62,000. This atmosphere intensified when The Alligator highlighted that Gainesville had been ranked as the most dangerous college city based on crime rates from May 2023 to 2025. With a reported rate of 179 crimes per 10,000 people, the pressure to bolster police resources was palpable.

Looking Ahead

As noted by UF’s chief labor negotiator, Patrick Keegan, the July 14 meeting represented a last-ditch effort to resolve the ongoing issues. „We’re grateful to the PBA and UPD for coming back to the table,“ Keegan remarked. „Our aim is to move forward positively and ensure that our officers feel valued.“ For their part, the agreement still awaits ratification by UPD officers before being finalized by Corwine and UF Chief of Police Bart Knowles, and it will be retroactive to July 1, 2025, lasting through June 30, 2028.

Despite the challenges of recent negotiations, both parties appear intent on fostering a more harmonious working environment. Student safety remains a top priority, and the newly reached salary agreement marks a step toward better compensation for UFPD officers who have faced growing workloads and community pressures. The journey to a secure campus is paved with collaboration and understanding—a sentiment echoed by the earlier frustrations of both officers and negotiators alike.

As the reality of this new agreement sinks in, there’s a sense of optimism for the future of the University of Florida and its police department—an institution that plays an undeniably critical role in keeping one of the state’s largest student populations safe.