Eighteen high-ranking police employees of the city of Lansing were paid more than $100,000 in the 2018 fiscal year, with some earning more than the city’s police chief.
Darin Southwell, a Lansing police captain, was paid $139,510 in 2018 while Sgt. Jeff Winarski collected $133,113 in gross compensation. Police Chief Michael Yankowski was paid $124,542 in 2018. The salary data came in response to a Freedom of Information Act request to the city.
In an email, Yankowski said that the 2018 income figures were for gross pay that included a clothing allowance, gun allowance, overtime pay, and final leave payments, such as accrued sick and vacation time, comp time, personal leave balances and more.
Lansing had 202 sworn police officers in 2018.
Yankowski said 14 employees, including Southwell, retired in 2018. City records show Southwell was paid $111,505 in the 2017 fiscal year. Winarski, however, was paid $157,719, making him the highest-paid employee in the city at that time.
City Attorney James Smiertka received the highest gross pay in the city, collecting $156,288 in 2018. The highest-paid fire department employee in 2018 was assistant fire chief Matthew Jenkins, who received $140,679. Jenkins had gross pay of $99,870 in FY 2017.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.