DABC asks Utah liquor store security to return with same pay

Law enforcement officers around the state can keep their second jobs as liquor store security officers and they don't have to take a $6-an-hour pay cut.

The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) decided earlier this week to "maintain current security contracts" with officers, and keep their pay at the current $25-per-hour rate, according to a letter dated Thursday, July 2.

"We had been negotiating with a private security [contracter], but they let us know late last week that they were unable to fill positions at $19 an hour," DABC spokeswoman Vickie Ashby said. "Rather than pay more, we are asking police officers to return for $25 an hour."

In addition to a lack of candidates, "some police departments have policies that include a minimum wage requirement for off-duty security employment," which prohibited officers from accepting the $19-per-hour rate, DABC deputy director Tom Zdunich wrote in the letter sent to security officers and liquor store managers.

To continue working, off-duty police offers have until Monday, July 6, to sign a new contract with the DABC.

In April, the DABC decided to use a private security service, saying a single contract would be more affordable than the current practice of hiring off-duty police officers from cities where liquor stores are located. About a month later, the DABC said because of budget cuts it planned to reduce the security pay.

Cuts are necessary, officials said, because lawmakers reduced the liquor store operating budget by $500,000 for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which began July 1. To save money, the DABC is leaving vacant positions unfilled, having managers run more than one store and offering an $8,000 early retirement incentive to qualified employees. It also had hoped to cut security costs, which were about $460,000 in fiscal 2014-2015.

"We'll just have to look for other ways to meet our reduced allocation," Ashby said.

kathys@sltrib.com