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For the first time in six years, D.C. police officers will get a raise, an arbitrator ruled yesterday.

The ruling will provide for a four percent raise for the second half of fiscal year 2013 and a three percent raise for fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017. The head of the police union, Kristopher Baumann, took major issue with the arbitrator’s choice of Mayor Vince Gray’s proposal, as opposed to the union’s.

“Rather than paying us comparably to police in other large cities, the Mayor believes that D.C. police should be paid comparably to police in Fauquier County and Frederick County,” Baumann said in a release. “The residents of the city and the Council need to ask themselves how they can attract and retain the best and brightest officers with that approach. Why would an officer choose to risk his or her life on a daily basis for less pay than a safer job out in the county? Why would an officer choose to work in a city where the cost of living far exceeds the county, when pay is lower?”

Gray’s spokesperson said in a statement, “We thank the arbiter for affirming that our longstanding offer was fair and reasonable. We look forward to giving our officers their long overdue raises. We are just sorry that we weren’t able to implement the raises sooner.”

“While I am pleased that we will have a contract that takes us through Fiscal Year 2017, I am disappointed that it took this long to reach a result,” Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier said in a statement. “The increases are in line with what the city provided to other unions, and the 4 percent increase for our members retroactive to April 2013 was actually more generous than what was offered to others.”

This post has been updated.