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G.W. Bridge officer makes $221K

NEW YORK - A rank-and-file policeman at the George Washington Bridge has made more than $200,000 so far this year, along with dozens of other officers of the agency that patrols New York City's airports, the tunnels under the Hudson River, and the new World Trade Center site.

NEW YORK - A rank-and-file policeman at the George Washington Bridge has made more than $200,000 so far this year, along with dozens of other officers of the agency that patrols New York City's airports, the tunnels under the Hudson River, and the new World Trade Center site.

Payroll figures and names released for the first time Friday by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey show 66 officers have made more than $200,000 so far in 2011, thanks to overtime that in many cases has doubled their salaries.

The bridge patrolman made $221,706. A sergeant on a special-operations team pulled in $265,059. That puts him far above executives like Aviation Director Susan Baer, who oversees three of the world's busiest airports - JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark - and two other airports. She's made $237,971 so far this year.

The Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents most of the police, says the high overtime numbers are the agency's own fault. President Paul Nunziato said the union had been asking the Port Authority for years to hire more officers.

In a statement Friday, the Port Authority said it reviews salaries and overtime costs on a continuing basis, as well as ways to reduce expenses.