Up to 250 Gwinnett County police officers could get a 6 percent raise by the end of the year under a plan unveiled Wednesday.
More than 200 sheriff’s deputies and 55 corrections officers also would be eligible for the raise as the county seeks to stem the loss of officers to better-paying jobs elsewhere. The raises would cost Gwinnett about $2.1 million a year initially.
The plan drew praise from Police Chief Butch Ayers, who has struggled to retain officers amid competition from other departments.
“This is a great step toward our overall efforts at building and retaining a highly trained workforce to serve the residents of Gwinnett County,” Ayers said.
The plan involves creating a new rank – “master officer” – that would require additional training and responsibilities, like mentoring younger officers. County Human Resources Director Scott Fuller said the new rank will target officers who have been with Gwinnett for about three to five years.
Separately, Gwinnett also unveiled plans to add 6 percent to the base salary of eligible officers through the rank of lieutenant who are assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division and the Accident Investigations Unit.
The goal is to “more appropriately compensate highly trained investigators assigned to these positions,” according to a memo Ayers sent to department employees. It’s unclear how many of officers would be eligible for the extra pay.
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