Huge financial investment in public safety: COJ strikes deal with police and fire unions [Video]

Tentative agreements between the City of Jacksonville and the local police and fire unions have been struck.

Highlights include double-digit pay raises and the return of a pension. There’s a lot of enthusiasm about what the deal would mean for recruitment and retention, especially for police.

“I’m grateful we reached this historic agreement with the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to keep all our citizens safe. The agreement ensures that benefits match the commitment of our brave police and corrections officers while supporting the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in its goal to attract the best and brightest to the force,” Mayor Donna Deegan said in an emailed statement.

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With JSO down more than 100 street officers and 200 corrections officers, getting a sizable pay raise and bringing back the pension were must-haves. In the end, the agency got both.

JSO officers will get a …