HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - On Tuesday, the Hattiesburg City Council unanimously approved a budget amendment that will give a mid-year raise to sworn officers with the Hattiesburg Police Department and equipment operators/drivers in the sanitation division of Public Works.
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker said the urgency to continue attracting quality professionals in both the police department and sanitation led to the administration bringing the proposal before the council.
The budget amendment package for sworn officers with HPD includes:
Initial surveys of salaries in the region indicate that this will make HPD the highest-paying local law enforcement agency in South Mississippi. It is also the fifth round of salary increases for the police department under the Barker administration.
“Public safety is the most important service provided by local government,” said Barker. “In recent years, it has become more challenging to recruit and retain quality men and women in law enforcement. It is a nationwide problem, and Hattiesburg has experienced it as well.
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