STRATFORD, Conn. — November 12, 2026 — Mayor David Chess announced that the Town of Stratford and the Stratford Police Union, Local 407, have reached a settlement on a new collective bargaining agreement. The contract establishes a pension for Stratford police officers, making our Town competitive with neighboring communities and giving the department the stability it needs to recruit and retain qualified officers.
Stratford officers hired since 2012 have served without a pension, while many neighboring towns offered one. That gap has made it harder to attract candidates and too easy for trained officers to leave for nearby departments. Each departure costs the town an average of $120,000, including more costly recruitment, more time spent training a replacement, and more shifts covered through overtime and call-back.
Paid for with dollars already in the budget
The pension will be funded through money already budgeted for overtime and call-back pay, along with the savings that come from recruiting and retaining officers. A fully staffed department relies less on overtime to cover shifts, and lower turnover reduces the cost of repeatedly recruiting, hiring, and training new officers.
A more competitive department
With a pension in place, Stratford can now compete for talent on equal terms with surrounding communities. The agreement is expected to:
Strengthen recruitment by offering the retirement security candidates expect
Improve retention so experienced officers build their careers in Stratford
Reduce reliance on overtime and call-back to fill staffing gaps
Bring greater stability and continuity to policing in Stratford neighborhoods
Begin addressing the wage disparity that puts Stratford’s department in the bottom quartile compared to similar municipalities
“Our officers protect this community every single day, and they deserve the same security their colleagues in most surrounding towns already have,” Mayor Chess explained. “For too long, Stratford has trained good officers only to watch them take that experience somewhere else. This agreement changes that. It stops the revolving door of officers coming and going, which costs the town hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. It keeps experienced officers on our streets, it makes Stratford a place where officers want to build a career, and it does so responsibly, without asking taxpayers for any new money. This is our time to build a police department that is fully staffed and here to stay.”
Mayor Chess thanked the members of Local 407 and the Town’s negotiating team for working in good faith to reach an agreement that serves officers and taxpayers alike. He also thanked the Town Council for their diligence and for supporting this agreement.
“I want to thank everyone who worked collaboratively to reach an agreement on the police contract: the Union, the Mayor’s Office, and the Town Council,” said Stratford Police Chief Renee Dominguez. “Our officers are dedicated professionals who take great pride in serving and protecting the Stratford community. This contract is an important investment in our department, helping us retain the outstanding officers we have while positioning us to attract new talent as we continue to grow and evolve. I look forward to building on our department’s strengths and continuing to provide the highest level of service to our community.”
Union members ratified the agreement on October 7, 2026, and the Town Council approved it on November 9, 2026. This agreement settles the police union contract that expired in June 2025. The new contract term is July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029.
“We, the Local 407 Executive Board, would like to thank our members for the support and patience they had during these negotiations,” stated Anthony Zona, president of Stratford Police Local 407. “This administration listened to the concerns the union brought forward to make this historic agreement possible. It is fair and moves our police department forward. To the Town Council and residents of Stratford: Thank you for the support you have shown the men and women who protect and serve this community every day.