Raleigh police officers got a presentation from the city manager’s office yesterday, and they aren’t happy about being told they’ll have to wait for the completion of a citywide pay study to assess whether they need a meaningful raise or not. Though city employees across the board are getting a 3-3.5 percent pay increase, many could net less in their paychecks than they’re bringing home now due to rising costs of health insurance. And even after the completion of the citywide study, there’s no guarantee officers will get a pay increase.
“The city manager’s office found ‘sufficient’ preliminary data to justify not giving us a pay raise, but felt that it was necessary to give large pay increases to city executives first without a comprehensive pay study,” a Facebook post from the Raleigh Police Protective Association—which is affiliated with the Teamsters union—states. You can see the post below.
The city’s response to the assertion that RPD officers are underpaid compared to other Wake County municipalities’ police officers is that, while data show that Raleigh officers’ pay ranges are lower than those in other “local markets,” it’s not a big enough deal for the city to have to take immediate action.
Here’s what the Raleigh’s communications department told the INDY last week:
It is not totally true that Raleigh police officers are paid the least in Wake County. For example, the City typically hires recruits who do not have formal training or a Basic Law Enforcement Training certificate and then sends them to the City’s Police Academy to receive the necessary training and certification. They get a 3 percent raise after completing the Academy. Other Wake County municipalities do not have their own Police Academy and tend to hire experienced officers or individuals who have a Basic Law Enforcement Training certificate. Comparing our police pay standards with the other Wake County municipalities is like comparing apples and oranges.
“It is clear that the city management is willing to allow our department to enter a state of crisis before instituting any significant pay raises,” the Police Association’s Facebook post states. “The time is now to take action. The citizens of Raleigh need to know that her officers are appreciated and that their hard work is being recognized.”