LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Metro Police Department and the city's police union agreed Thursday night to a tentative agreement that includes 9% raises in 2022 and 3% raises in 2023.
Released to the public Thursday night, members of the River City FOP still need to vote on its details before it heads to Metro Council for a vote.
The contract also includes:
- Mandatory critical incident drug and alcohol testing
- 8.21% raises for lieutenants, the same raise officers and sergeants received in December 2020
- New residency stipend of $5,000 for qualified areas
New officers now make about $49,500. By July 2023, officers' salaries will range from $51,000 to nearly $79,000 for an officer at the end of his or her career. And salaries for sergeants and lieutenants will also climb. Sergeants' salaries will be between $78,700 and $93,500 in the 2023 fiscal year, while lieutenants' salaries will be $98,000 to $123,100.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said his administration's goal was to ensure "that we have a pay scale that allows us to recruit and retain the most talented people possible, while also making reforms to further trust between the police and the community they serve."
"These changes align the police department with the best practices of reform-minded police forces across the country," Fischer said in a statement last month. "My hope is that the men and women of LMPD see this as an investment in them, that those considering law enforcement see it as an invitation to a fulfilling career, and that our residents see it as evidence of our commitment to bring major reformative changes to address accountability and community trust."
FOP President Ryan Nichols said the tentative contracts will help the department recruit "the most qualified candidates and retain our outstanding officers."
The salary increases are an effort to retain and bring new and more experienced officers to the department. Chief Erica Shields has said LMPD should have about 1,300 officers but is around 250 short of what the department is authorized to have.
"With the challenges we face on gun violence and staffing, our city needs highly motivated officers, and the competitive salary pieces of this contract will help us achieve that," Shields said.
To see the full synopsis, provided by the city, click here.
This story may be updated.
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