Volume 67 · 73
Public Law 83–74
To adjust the salaries of officers and members of the Metropolitan Police force, tile United States Park Police, the White House Police, and the Fire Department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
Approved June 20, 1953
Statutory text
AN ACT
To adjust the salaries of officers and members of the Metropolitan Police force, tile United States Park Police, the White House Police, and the Fire Department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That this Act may be cited as the “District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1953”.
TITLE I— METROPOLITAN POLICE FORCE
Sec. 101.
Except as provided in subsections (b) or (c), the
Basic salaries.
Officers and members.
annual basic salaries of the officers and members of the Metropolitan Police force shall be at the rates set forth in the following table:
| Chief of notice | $12,600 |
| Deputy chiefs | 8,459 |
| Inspectors | 7,753 |
| Captains | 6,590 |
| Lieutenants | 6,009 |
| Sergeants | 5,521 |
| Corporals | 5,090 |
| Private, class 4 (three or more years’ service) | 4,641 |
| Private, class 3 (two or more but less than three years’ service) | 4,378 |
| Private, class 2 (one or more but less than two years’ service) | 4,115 |
| Private, class 1 (less than one year’s service) | 3,900 |
All original appointments of privates shall be made at the annual basic
Privates.
salary of $3,900 and the first year of service shall be probationary.
The annual basic salary of a private of any class of the force shall be increased by—
$1,200, while he is assigned to duty as a detective sergeant;
$465, while he is assigned to duty as a precinct detective;
$300, while be is assigned to duty as a station clerk;
$270, while he is assigned to duty as a probational detective; or
$390, while he is assigned to duty as a motorcycle officer.
Paragraph (5) of this subsection shall apply to any officer below the grade of lieutenant.
Subject to approval of the Commissioners, the annual basic salary of a private of the Metropolitan Police force shall be increased by an amount not to exceed $390 while he is assigned to duty as a technician.
Sec. 102.
The annual basic salary of each officer and member
5-year continuous service increase.
of the Metropolitan Police force in a grade above that of private, class 3, except the Chief of Police, shall be increased by $120 at the beginning of the next pay period following each five-year period of continuous service completed in such grade, including service in such grade rendered prior to the effective date of this Act: Provided, That in computing service rendered prior to such date by any individual in the grade of private, only service in such grade in excess of three years shall be creditable in determining such increase or increases for any individual assigned to the grade of private, class 4, in the foregoing salary table. The annual basic salary of the Chief of Police shall be increased by $200 at the beginning of the next pay period following each eighteen-month period of continuous service completed in such grade including service in such grade rendered prior to the effective date of this Act. For the purpose of this subsection, service shall not be deemed to have been discontinued by reason of any assignment (with an accompanying increase in basic salary) pursuant to subsection (b) or subsection (e) of section 101 of this Act. An increase in basic salary under this subsection shall be known as a "longevity increase”.
Any officer or member who is promoted to a position in a
Promotions.
higher grade in the foregoing salary table who is receiving one or more longevity increases under subsection (a) of this section, and whose basic salary, as increased by such longevity increases, exceeds the scheduled rate for such higher grade, shall, upon promotion, be entitled to the basic salary of such higher grade plus so many equivalent longevity increases as may be necessary to make his salary in such higher grade at least equal the salary he received before promotion, including longevity increases.
Whenever any officer or member is demoted from any grade to
Demotions.
a lower grade and such officer or member prior to such demotion was receiving one or more longevity increases, the Commissioners, in their discretion, may in demoting such officer or member fix his annual basic salary so as to exclude all such earned longevity increases or to include one or more of such earned longevity increases.
The Chief of Police shall receive no more than four longevity
Longevity increases.
increases and no other officer or member shall receive more than five longevity increases with respect to service rendered in any one grade.
No officer or member shall be entitled to a longevity increase
Rating requirement.
for a five-year period of service unless he has maintained a rating of satisfactory or better for such period.
TITLE II— FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Sec. 201.
Except as provided in subsection (b) the annual basic
Basic salaries.
Officers and members.
salaries of the officers and members of the Fire Department of the District of Columbia shall be at the rates set forth in the following table:
| Fire chief | $12,500 |
| Deputy fire chiefs | 8,459 |
| Superintendent of machinery | 8,459 |
| Fire marshal | 8,459 |
| Battalion fire chiefs | 7,753 |
| Assistant superintendent of machinery | 7,753 |
| Deputy fire marshal | 7,753 |
| Captain | 6,590 |
| Pilots | 6,328 |
| Marine engineers | 6,328 |
| Lieutenants | 6,009 |
| Sergeants | 5,521 |
| Assistant pilots | 5,038 |
| Assistant marine engineers | 5,038 |
| Inspectors | 4,813 |
| Private, class 4 (three or more years’ service) | 4,641 |
| Private, class 3 (two or more but less than three years’ service) | 4,378 |
| Private, class 2 (one or more but less than two years’ service) | 4,115 |
| Private, class 1 (less than one year’s service) | 3,900 |
All original appointments of privates shall be made at the annual
Privates.
basic salary of $3,900 and the first year of service shall be probationary.
Subject to approval of the Commissioners, the annual basic salary of a private or an inspector of the Fire Department of the District of Columbia shall be increased by an amount not to exceed $390 while he is assigned to duty as a technician.
Sec. 202.
The annual basic salary of each officer and member
5-year continuous service increase.
of the Fire Department in a grade above that of private, class 3, except the Fire Chief, shall be increased by $120 at the beginning of the next pay period following each five-year period of continuous service completed in such grade, including service in such grade rendered prior to the effective date of this Act: Provided, That in computing service rendered prior to such date by any individual in the grade of private, only service in such grade in excess of three years shall be creditable in determining such increase or increases for any individual assigned to the grade of private, class 4, in the foregoing salary table. For the purpose of this subsection, service shall not be deemed to have been discontinued by reason of any assignment (with an accompanying increase in salary) pursuant to subsection (b) of section 201 of this Act. The annual basic salary of the Fire Chief shall be increased by $200 at the beginning of the next pay period following each eighteen-month period of continuous service completed in such grade including service in such grade rendered prior to the effective date of this Act. An increase in basic salary under this subsection shall be known as a “longevity increase”.
Any officer or member who is promoted to a position in a higher
Promotions.
grade in the foregoing salary table who is receiving one or more longevity increases under subsection (a) of this section, and whose basic salary, as increased by such longevity increases, exceeds the scheduled rate for such higher grade, shall, upon promotion, be entitled to the basic salary of such higher grade plus so many equivalent, longevity increases as may be necessary to make his salary in such higher grade at least equal the salary he received before promotion, including longevity increases.
Whenever any officer or member is demoted from any grade
Demotions.
to a lower grade and such officer or member prior to such demotion was receiving one or more longevity increases, the Commissioners, in their discretion, may in demoting such officer or member fix his annual basic salary so as to exclude all such earned longevity increases or to include one or more of such earned longevity increases.
The Fire Chief shall receive no more than four longevity increases
Longevity increases.
and no other officer or member shall receive more than five longevity increases with respect to service rendered in any one grade.
No officer or member shall be entitled to a longevity increase for
Rating requirement.
a five-year period of service unless he has maintained a rating of satisfactory or better for such period.
TITLE III— AUTOMATIC EQUALIZATION OF PENSIONS
Sec. 301.
Notwithstanding section 6 of the Act entitled “An Act
Pension relief allowance or retirement compensation.
Increase.
to fix the salaries of officers and members of the Metropolitan Police Force and Fire Department of the District of Columbia”, approved July 1, 1930 (46 Stat. 841, ch. 783, D. C. Code, 1951 edition, sec. 4–505), each individual heretofore or hereafter retired from active service and entitled to receive a pension relief allowance or retirement compensation under the provisions of section 12 of the Act entitled “An Act making appropriations to provide for the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, and for other purposes”, approved September 1, 1916 (39 Stat. 676), as amended, shall be
D. C. Code 4–113 to 4–597, passim.
entitled to receive, without making application therefor, with respect to each increase in salary granted by this Act, or hereafter granted by law to which such individual would be entitled if he were in active service, an increase in his pension relief allowance or retirement compensation. Such increase shall be in an amount which bears the same ratio to such increase in salary as the amount of each such individual’s pension relief allowance or retirement compensation in effect on the day next preceding such salary increase bore to the salary to which he would have been entitled had he been in active service on the day next preceding such salary increase. Each increase
Effective date.
in pension relief allowance or retirement compensation under this title resulting from an increase in salary shall take effect as of the first day of the first month following the effective date of such increase in salary.
Sec. 302.
In computing the pension relief allowance or retirement
Certain retired officers.
compensation of any such individual retired before the effective date of this Act as Major and Superintendent of Police, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Chief Engineer of the Fire Department, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Fire Department, or Battalion Chief Engineer of the Fire Department of the District of Columbia, such person shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have retired as Chief of Police, Deputy Chief of Police, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, or Battalion Fire Chief, respectively.
TITLE IV— MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec. 401.
The annual basic salaries of officers and members of the
U. S. Park Police.
United States Park Police shall be the same as the annual basic salaries (including longevity increases under section 102 of this Act) provided for officers and members of the Metropolitan Police force in corresponding or similar grades.
Sec. 402.
Section 204 (b) of title 3 of the United States Code (relating
White House Police.
to the salaries of the White House Police) is amended by inserting after “Metropolitan Police force” the following: “(including longevity increases provided by section 102 of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1953)”.
Sec. 403.
The second sentence of subsection (e) of the first section of
Police.
Five-day week.
D.C. Code 4–904.
the Act approved August 15, 1950, as amended by the Act approved March 27, 1951 (Public Law 13, Eighty-second Congress) is amended by striking therefrom “(one three-hundred-and-sixtieth of his annual basic salary)”.
Sec. 404.
The following laws and parts of laws are hereby
Repeals.
repealed:
The first three sections and section 5 of the Act of May 27,
D. C. Code 4–180, 4–201, 4–410, 4–203.
1924, as amended (Public Law 148, Sixty-eighth Congress);
The first three sections of the Act of July 1, 1930, as amended (D. C. Code, secs. 4–108, 4–405, 4–801);
Act of May 5, 1944 (Public Law 297. Seventy-eighth
D.C. Code 4–405.
Congress);
Act of July 3, 1945 (Public Law 122, Seventy-ninth Congress);
Act of July 14, 1945, as amended (Public Law 151, Seventy-ninth
D. C. Code 4–803 to 4–805.
Congress);
Act of December 28, 1945 (Public Law 278, Seventy-ninth Congress);
Act of June 19, 1946 (Public Law 417, Seventy-ninth
Congress);
Act of July 5, 1946 (Public Law 491, Seventy-ninth
D.C. Code 4–803.
Congress);
First two sections of the Act of June 30, 1949 (Public Law
D. C. Code 4–108, 4–806.
151, Eighty-first Congress);
Section 4 of the Act of October 24, 1951 (Public Law 195, Eighty-second
65 Stat. 607, 636.
D. C. Code 4–810, 4–806, 4–811.
Congress); and
Subsection (a) of the first section of the Act of October 25, 1951 (Public Law 207, Eighty-second Congress).
All laws or parts of laws inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency.
Sec. 405.
For all pay computation purposes affecting employees
Pay computation.
Post, p. 182.
covered by this Act, basic per annum rates of compensation established
Basic annual rates.
by this Act shall be regarded as payment for employment during fifty-two basic administrative workweeks.
Whenever for any such purpose it is necessary to convert a
Conversion.
basic annual rate established by this Act to a basic biweekly, weekly, or daily rate, the following rules shall govern:
An annual rate shall be divided by fifty-two or twenty-six as the case may be, to derive a weekly or biweekly rate; or
A weekly or biweekly rate shall be divided by five or ten, as the case may be, to derive a daily rate.
All rates shall be computed to the nearest cent, counting one-half cent and over as a whole cent
For all officers and employees referred to in this Act, each pay
Pay period.
period shall cover two administrative workweeks.
Sec. 406.
The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are hereby
Regulations.
authorized to promulgate such regulations as may be necessary for the administration of this Act.
Sec. 407.
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1953.
Approved June 20, 1953.