- Chief Thomas Cummings leads the Southampton Village force in the Hamptons
- Cummings, 57, is paid $442,000 but is due $1.24 million upon retirement
- His base salary is $264,000 but draws an additional $230k in overtime/benefits
- Southampton has a population of 3,000 and hasn’t had a murder since 2008
- Salary is more than NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea’s $239,000-a-year
A police officer from the tiny New York village of Southampton who makes almost half-a-million dollars annually is set for a million dollar payout once he finally retires.
Chief Thomas Cummings who leads the force of 30 officers in the Hamptons on Long Island’s east end pulled in almost $442,000 in 2020 when holiday pay, retirement benefits and healthcare are taken into account.
But even the chief’s base pay of $264,000 is greater than that of NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea of $239,000 who commands a force of 36,000 sworn officer in New York City, home to more than 8 million residents. At last count, Southampton was home to just over 3,000 villagers.
It’s not clear what factors go into deciding the chief’s salary but crime in the wealthy Hampton’s locations is virtually non-existent. The quaint village hasn’t had a murder since 2008.