The City of Austin this week announced details of its plan to pay, provide benefits, and implement a retention strategy for officers of the Austin Police Department. This follows passage of an ordinance the Austin City Council unanimously passed on February 23 that directed Interim City Manager Jesús Garza to develop such a plan.
“This is a good day for our City and for the women and men of the Austin Police Department,” Mayor Kirk Watson said. “We are delivering on our promises, and just one week after a Council directive, the Interim City Manager has presented us with a substantial pathway to financially supporting the officers who serve this community.
The plan, which is summarized here, includes the following tenets:
- A 4% increase in pay for all officers under the rank of assistant chief, effective April 1, 2023
- Up to a $15,000 incentive for new cadets
- Retention incentives for current officers, including a pay increase for officers nearing retirement, which may help alleviate the current concern for officers considering retirement
Additional provisions within the plan include continuation of longevity pay, field training officer pay, mental health certification pay, bilingual pay, shift differential pay, assistant chief pay, among others.
“This plan demonstrates the commitment this City has to keeping its word and supporting our officers,” Joseph Chacon, Chief of the Austin Police Department, said. “APD officers keep this community safe, and they deserve to be compensated well for doing so; this plan is an important part of ensuring officers feel valued by the people they serve.”
