Boston Council Committee Advances $129,000 BPD Forensics Union Contract

BOSTON — February 24, 2025 — Boston's Ways and Means Committee advances a new contract for 33 Boston Police Department forensic scientists, restructuring their pay scale from the ground up. City Councilor Brian Worrell, District 4 and committee chair, convened the February 24 hearing on Dockets 0237 and 0238, which together move $128,700 from the city's collective bargaining reserve into the Police Department's budget. Budget Director Jim Williamson noted the reserve, which began FY25 at $96.8 million, now stands at roughly $83 million after 15 contracts totaling $13.7 million. Director of Labor Relations Renee Bushy said the deal — covering job grades CRIM 1 through a newly created CRIM 5 — delivers an average immediate step-placement increase of $4,700 per employee, with salary ranges topping out at $137,000, plus 2 percent base wage increases in January 2026 and 2027. Council President Ruthzee Louijeune noted that for lower-paid employees, the first-year step increase could represent 5 to 10 percent of base pay — well above the headline figure.