Magee Police Chief Shane Little presented the Magee Mayor and Board of Aldermen with a plan to improve officer retention during their recent board meeting. Little appeared before the board looking for help to solve an officer retention problem which he attributed to the pay scale. Little explained that he has lost officers to higher paying jobs and expressed a need to improve the pay scale to make the city more competitive.
During discussion in the open meeting, Little explained that he has found a way to pay officers more money with the hopes of producing long term officer for the city. Little said he worked with Brett Duncan of Prince CPA and developed a strategy that would not cost the city more money than what was budgeted in 2023 to begin paying their current officers more money immediately. However, Little said there would be some adjustments to account for pay scale differences come October which is the start of the new fiscal year.
Little said he planned to bring this up during their budget discussions in the future, but he felt a need to be proactive and make the board aware of the retention problem, and a possible solution.
Little said, “A few sacrifices I’m willing to make if allowed to, I’ve found a way to feasibly make this plan possible now and stop some of the bleeding. So we can have it to where we produce long term officers for the City of Magee.”
Little wants to fund a pay scale for officers based on a patrolling ranking system. He wants officers to receive a pay increase based on years of experience in three-year increments, plus performance evaluations, and continuing education. Little said all three of these factors will play a role in the officers advancing their pay.
Little said, “This puts the weight on the officer to better himself or herself to become a better officer.”
He said the pay scale increases the same dollar amount every three years except for the first increase after year three. Little said the first bump in pay is more significant due to the officer demonstrating a commitment to the city. He explained that the attrition rate for officers is highest within their first two years of service.
He said, “In law enforcement, one to two years is kind of the flush out rate. They try it, they like it, or they don’t.”
Little explained after that first two to three years the officer usually made up their minds on where they wanted to be. He said this logic is why the pay increase from patrolman one to patrolman two is a significant jump.
He expressed to the board that an increase to the pay scale is a necessity because the current scale is costing the city officers. He said the department has been dealing with being understaffed for most of the year.
Little said, “With this pay scale, I’m losing officers left and right to capitol police and other things.”
He also shared a future possibility of bringing in another senior officer that would cost the city an additional $25,000 in salary next year. Little said this would be possible if he reduces one of his swing shifts and he is willing to do that.
Little said, “I’m willing to do that to be able to put the foundation down for these guys to be able to grow. To have them a reason to come to Magee and a reason to stay here. I could have a guy that’s been here ten years, but he’s going to jump somewhere else for more money. Because he’s still getting paid what he was when he first started.”
Little said he has not asked the board for a lot during his tenure as opposed to previous chiefs. He highlighted that he has done as much as he can with as little as he can and asked the board to move forward with a vote.
Brett Duncan advised the board to discuss the salaries of particular people in executive session. Following executive session, the board voted to table the decision until their next meeting.
