Submitted by Frank J Kiernan, President, Retired Police Association of Greenwich
I am Frank Kiernan, President of the Retired Police Association of Greenwich (RPAoG), and send this letter to the editor in hopes to reach the residents of Greenwich.
I read with great interest the Sunday July 19, 2026, Greenwich Time Op-Ed piece by Alma Rutgers about the 130-year anniversary of the Greenwich Police Department.
In it, former employees described how members lived in town, the close-knit community that formed as a result.
That is no longer the case with the current Chief citing among other issues the lack of a defined pension plan.
I am a police retiree, and President of the Retired Police Association of Greenwich, while the article addressed the comradery among the members of the department, and the appreciation the public shows for the officers, those feeling are not felt by the Town government.
I retired in 2006; there has not been a single increase in the pension for 20 years. Over that same period the cost of health insurance increased 188%, Medicare increased 129%, prescription drug costs 300%, State income tax increased 40% , property taxes are the highest in the nation, the Town’s pension obligation has increased 0%.
The Town Pension Board refuses to even bring up a pension increase at any of its meetings, with one member heard saying, “If the widows and retirees need money, they can refinance their homes…’.
Is this the way you treat former employees? How do you think current employees feel when they see retirees discarded as useless, no longer appreciated for the time and sacrifice they made.
Some of these individuals solved major crimes that occurred in Town, helped your family members in times of crisis.
During contract negotiations when a COLA was requested the Town countered with, “We will take care of you, we will always take care of you.” This stopped over 20 years ago.
In 2019 the Silver Shield successfully negotiated a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) into their contract, it was not retroactive and left out members that retired prior to 2019 and their widows.
To this day I still drive through town as if I am on patrol, ready to help anyone in distress. I wish the town felt the same dedication to retirees as we do to the town.
Frank J Kiernan
President
Retired Police Association of Greenwich