The Southwest Mercer County Regional police union has signed a new four-year contract, union President Sgt. William Hite said Thursday.

The union, Joseph Volansky Lodge 34 of the Fraternal Order of Police, ratified the pact two months ago but a couple of issues have held up the signing.

"We agreed their concerns will be addressed, but they will be addressed outside the contract," said police commission Chairman James DeCapua.

Instead, they will be handled in policies, which can be amended easier than contract issues, DeCapua said.

The commission agreed to develop a policy for "critical incidents," such as if a policeman were to someone or to be taken hostage, DeCapua said. It covers incidents that occur while the policeman is on duty, he said.

"We've agreed to sit down and work this policy out because it's important to the men," DeCapua said.

The second issue was personal days. The commission will allow unused personal days to carry over into the first 60 days of the next year if policemen do not have the opportunity to take them at the end of a previous year because of scheduling problems, DeCapua said.

The full-time policemen will get $1,000 raises each year.

By the last year, the chief will make $47,640, and the sergeants $40,189.

The corporals and patrolmen are paid on a step basis with salaries determined according to length of service. By the fourth year, the most tenured corporals would be paid $39,640, and the most tenured patrolmen $39,074.

A patrolmen hired this year would start a salary of $28,211.

Part-timers will see their $9 an hour wage increase 50 cents this year and 25 cents each of the last three years, bringing the last year total to $10.50.

The contract is retroactive to Jan. 1. Contract talks began in July.