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April 1996

The erosion of police and firefighter wage parity

Larry T. Hoover, Jerry L. Dowling, Eugene E. Bouley, Jr.

Wage parity for police and firefighters has eroded steadily since 1950, long before concern surfaced about the civil disorders of the 1960's and, more recently, about crime. This article discusses post-World War II pay developments for police and firefighters, finding that police have benefited from the wage parity erosion. The article examines the implications of this finding in light of the traditional factors cited in support of pay equity for police and firefighters.

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