Are low starting salaries hurting public safety in Warner Robins?
As city leaders continue to debate how to help the Warner Robins Police Department, we took a closer look at one of WRPD’s repeated claims.
They say it's hard to keep their officers on staff when they don't pay as much to start as other agencies.
Brian Propst opened a new business in Warner Robins in September. He says they've kept an eye on crime and how the city is policed.
When 13WMAZ showed him how Warner Robins' new officers are paid compared to other departments he reacted with surprise.
“Wow. It's definitely lower than anywhere else,” Propst said while reading the numbers.
Warner Robins officers make $32,934.72 per year to start, according to the Department website.
13 WMAZ looked at four cities closest in population to Warner Robins' roughly 74,000 people.
Albany has a population of nearly 74,000. The starting salary there is $34,500.96, according to the Albany city website.
Alpharetta has a population of 65,338. The starting salary there is $40,425, according to the city’s website.
Marietta has a population of 60,941. The starting salary there is anywhere from $36,483 to $38,313, according to the city website.
Johns Creek is larger than Warner Robins with a population of 83,873. Through an open records request, 13 WMAZ learned the starting salary there is $43,763.20.
Besides cities with a similar population, 13 WMAZ looked at other agencies to compare.
The Georgia State Patrol has a starting salary which is thousands higher than Warner Robins Police.
A GSP cadet can start at $34,392.00 and a GSP trooper can start at $46,422.00, according to the Georgia State Patrol recruitment website.
A certified Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputy would make $34,590.40 a year, according to the Bibb County website. However, a non-certified employee would start at $31,969.60, which is lower than Warner Robins Police.
In Houston County, an open position for a detention officer with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office lists its starting salary as $34,756.80, which is also higher than the Warner Robins Police starting salary.
Of those seven agencies, only the non-certified BCSO employee makes less than a new Warner Robins police officer. All the others pay roughly a thousand or thousands more.
“It should at least be on par with other cities of the same size, if not more. I feel they all get paid too less,” Propst said about the numbers, and law enforcement in general.
We asked Mayor Randy Toms to react to the numbers. He says he knows the city starts low, which is why they've tried other fixes.
“We've made a difference in the last year in how we compensate them with their years of service. Is that enough? I mean there's always going to be that question,” Toms said in his office.
At the time, the city hoped it would ease concerns in the police department about compensation.
The fix cost more than one million dollars.
Mayor Toms also pointed out the city's benefits package, which he said were a gem compared to others offered in other cities.
He particularly pointed out the city’s benefits for family health insurance and employee retirement, which he said were better compared to other departments.
We also showed the list to Councilman Clifford Holmes.
“Why is the salary low? Because we have not raised the salary, that's on Council. And I'm in favor of working on that, I am definitely in favor of improving the salaries,” Holmes told 13 WMAZ.
Police have said low salaries are part of the reason they can't keep their officers.
Some city leaders say they won't approve adding more officers until the police department can fill their vacancies and keep them filled.
For years, Police Chief Brett Evans has said the department hasn't grown with the population. The issue was discussed heavily in light of rising violent crime in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, the city’s violent crime rate decreased.
But Councilman Keith Lauritsen is not convinced that salaries are to blame. He says the entry process to become an officer is too lengthy.
“From the time they begin discussing it to the time they actually can apply and go through all the testing and evaluations, it's a long time, it can take months and months,” Lauritsen said.
But Lauritsen did say he is in favor of raising salaries. Holmes said he wants to do something too.
Holmes suggested creating a committee with department members and members of Council to study the problem and hear from the employees themselves if salaries are really a factor in job retention.
Lauritsen said he wanted to take a closer look at the job requirements, which he said might be keeping applicants from even trying in the first place. He also touted the city’s benefits in agreement with Mayor Toms.
But the question remains, if Council decided to raise the Warner Robins Police Department’s starting salaries, where would they find the money?