DeKalb police officers and firefighters are protesting their stagnant salaries, and they're asking the county for a raise to prevent further personnel losses.

More than two dozen public safety employees stood in solidarity at Tuesday's DeKalb Commission meeting to seek pay increases.

DeKalb’s police and fire departments have been losing employees in recent years to neighboring jurisdictions with higher pay rates.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez