Regarding the letter from Mike Proto about police officers’ pay (“Incentives are great, but police pay is still too low,” Oct 14), he has the audacity of saying this when most officers make more than $60,000 per year, including the never-ending road details they are assigned to.

Just these details pay $50 an hour. ‘Embarrassingly low’ is what my wife makes on minimum wage, not even $22,000 per year. Most officers gross more than $60,000 per year, including detail work. That’s a pretty good pay in anybody’s opinion.

This comes out to roughly $1,150 gross pay per week, not to even mention a very generous benefit package, which my wife will never have.

Mr. Proto mentions that you can send police officers to college to become a brain surgeon, but that does nothing to start a college fund for his children. A brain surgeon makes at least $400,000 per year. I think you could afford their education making that kind of money.

He further goes on to blame our Bristol Town Council for his perceived low wage. The town council is just doing its job in keeping tax rates low for the taxpayer. Many people on a set pension can’t afford the present tax rates.

The bottom line is, if you are not satisfied with your present pay, you can quit and move on to greener pastures.

Joe Cunha
Bristol