TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Police Pay To Go Up

ADVERTISEMENT

By GEORGE WILKENS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 20, 2008

PLANT CITY - The city plans to boost police salaries starting in October to stem the loss of officers to higher-paying law enforcement agencies.

The city will raise its pay range for officers to from $42,908 to $67,821 annually starting Oct. 1. The current range for Plant City officers is $40,473 to $60,442.

Plant City commissioners' decision to adopt the new salary schedule came at an Aug. 11 workshop, during which police Chief Bill McDaniel said turnover makes it difficult to retain experienced officers and hire new ones.

In the past five years, 25 police officers have quit for law enforcement positions in neighboring jurisdictions, McDaniel said. Eleven took jobs with Tampa's police department and two each joined the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol, he said.

Other police agencies, including those protecting Tampa International Airport and the University of South Florida, account for the other 10 departures, McDaniel said.

The plan McDaniel recommended and commissioners approved Aug. 11 means Plant City will pay salaries equal to 97.5 percent of those paid Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies, a standard used by several agencies, including USF and Tampa airport police.

McDaniel estimated the departure of the 25 officers created a financial loss of nearly $1 million for the city, the bulk of that sum invested in the total 30,000 hours of field training for those employees.

To be competitive with nearby law enforcement agencies, Plant City officers each year will receive performance-based annual raises of up to 4 percent and a cost-of-living allowance of 3 to 4 percent.

An annual raise can be delayed if an officer fails to meet required training benchmarks or is subject to serious disciplinary actions.

"It would improve my ability to hire the quality of people we want to see in the department," McDaniel said of the enhanced salary plan. "It will strengthen and improve our department as a whole" and boost morale.

The city will pay for the higher salaries in the next fiscal year without a budget increase by eliminating nearly a dozen department positions, all but one of which are vacant.

Positions to be eliminated are four officers, one lieutenant, one captain, one director and 41/2 civilian positions. One civilian worker will be laid off.

Mayor Rick Lott said McDaniel's willingness to reduce his staff is evidence of how important salary enhancements are to the chief.

"I'd like to see this commission put this to bed," Lott said.

Commissioners agreed, voting unanimously to adopt the pay plan.

Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at (813) 865-4433 or gwilkens@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT