DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County officials have announced a $10.43 million investment aimed at increasing salaries and recruitment efforts within the DeKalb County Police Department as the county works to fill hundreds of vacant officer positions, WSB-TV reported.
The initiative, funded through a reallocation of existing resources rather than tax increases, seeks to make DKPD more competitive with surrounding law enforcement agencies, according to the report. Currently, the department has 841 funded sworn officer positions, but only 531 are filled.
Salary increases and incentives
The investment will provide a 7.1% salary increase for police majors and captains, along with new hiring rates and incentives for officers at all levels, according to the report. The planned compensation adjustments include:
- Master Police Officer – Minimum salary set at $75,000
- Senior Police Officer – Minimum salary set at $70,000
- Police Officer and recruit – Hiring rate set at $61,000, increasing to $64,050 for candidates with a degree
Additional benefits funded by the investment include:
- $1.85 million annually for holiday pay
- $418,000 annually for sick leave compensation
- $804,000 for housing allowances for officers living in DeKalb County
- $252,000 for annuity benefits
- Referral incentives of up to $10,000 per certified officer recruited
Addressing staffing shortages
County officials say DeKalb has struggled to retain officers as competing jurisdictions offer better pay and benefits, according to the report. The new initiative is designed to reverse that trend by offering more competitive compensation.
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“Public safety is a priority, and our budget should reflect that,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson stated. “This plan allows us to invest in our officers in a fiscally responsible way by making better use of existing resources.”
In addition to salary increases, the county will undertake a pension plan review, establish a public safety task force focused on recruitment and retention and conduct an operational review to modernize DKPD, according to the report.
