DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Clarkston police, struggling with staff shortages, are getting a boost in pay.
Mayor Beverly Burks announced the salary increases outside the police department Monday, saying the raises should make the city more competitive with other communities.
Burks said the city is increasing the base salary for police officers by 12.5 percent, bringing it to $52,137 – up from about $46,000.
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In addition, all city employees including police officers are getting an 8 percent raise.
“I believe that with this increase, the morale should come up,” Clarkston Police Chief Christine Hudson said. “As far as people leaving, I don’t know, but it should help us greatly to attract certified officers.”
At full staff, the department has 21 officers, but it’s down to 15 now.
Six officers have left in recent months.
Mayor Burks, whose city has a population of about 14,000 people, wants to stop the exodus.
“We had to do measures to make sure we’re competitive, even though we’re a 1.7-mile radius, we still have to do our part to make sure we have comparable and competitive salaries for our officers,” she said.
Sgt. Dustin Bulcher, a police spokesperson, said the new base pay is “still not competitive for the area, but it gives a little more leverage in recruiting and it’s going to help with retention.”
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The base salary for bigger departments in DeKalb County is about $55,000.
Burks left open the possibility for more salary increases. “We’re not saying we’re limiting this,” she said. “But this is our first step. We’re making sure we’re conscious about our budget, but we also have to be mindful of the officers that serve our community.”
Clarkston is also offering signing bonuses.
They range from $1,000 to $1,500 for new police recruits and $3,000 to $5,000 for certified officers.
“We’ve lost people, but it’s not a little too late,” Burks said. “We’re here and committed to our police department. We know the issue is not only facing our department but officers in other departments throughout DeKalb County. We will work very tirelessly to make sure our officers know they are our priority here.”
All the pay increases, approved by the city council, are effective immediately.
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