BECKLEY, W.Va. — Beckley City Council is scheduled to take up a proposal Tuesday night that would give city police officers a $2,500 across-the-board pay increase.
The council meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Beckley City Hall.
The increase would bump the starting salary for a Beckley Police officer from around $43,000 to about $45,500, if approved.
Pay would still be less than the starting salary for the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, which is about $48,000-$50,000.
Beckley City Recorder Billie Trump said the city is trying to stay competitive and raising police salaries can hopefully accomplish that goal.
“There’s a real problem not only locally, but nationally with recruitment and retention with police officers. We’re just doing our best to keep the good officers we have and maybe attract new candidates,” Trump told MetroNews on Monday.
Trump said the city pays about $22,000 for health insurance and other benefits for all of its employees. The city also has a bonus program.
“Once you stay five years, you get a 5,000 bonus. When an officer reaches 10 years, then get another 5,000 bonus,” he said.
Over the last 3-4 years, Trump said the city has given the police department $1,500 raises periodically to try and keep officers employed there.
Trump said this is not just a Beckley problem.
“It’s a statewide problem,” he said. “Recruitment and retention is getting very difficult in our particular situation.”
Trump said the additional compensation for police officers would cost the city about $200,000 annually. If approved, the raise would kick in this fiscal year, which started July 1.