Statement from the NEPBA regarding the Bourne Police Patrolmen
Dec 9, 2025
The men and women of the Bourne Police Department continue to work without a contract through the holiday season. While proceedings move slowly at the Massachusetts Joint Labor Management Committee, the Town has continued to stonewall the Union.
At the most recent town meeting, Town Administrator Marlene McCollem made several statements that were disappointing and, in the view of many members, potentially misleading. She highlighted a raise for steps 4 through 7 of the 20-step pay scale but offered no explanation for why only these four steps were chosen. Ultimately, the raises the Town Administrator referenced directly benefit only a small portion of the department.
Although the administrator has publicly spoken of “noticeable base salary increases,” the membership has yet to see any proposal that reflects that promise. Our requests simply aim to bring Bourne’s compensation in line with comparable departments. Instead, we have received counteroffers with no apparent willingness to make the compromises necessary to bring salaries in line with other Cape departments.
Since our last contract, the department’s call volume has nearly tripled, placing a far greater workload on our officers. Despite this, the men and women of the Bourne Police Department continue to work through the holiday season without a contract, remaining committed to the community even as negotiations stall.
As we have previously said, we stand ready to meet immediately and finalize a fair, data driven agreement that delivers staffing stability and predictable budgeting for the Town, without further delay. A timely, fair agreement recognizes the professionalism of Bourne’s officers and strengthens the partnership residents rely on.
Happy Holidays
