Recruiting and retaining police officers has proven to be difficult in Coleman due mainly to low starting salaries. The Coleman City Council took action Monday night, July 29, that they hope will help recruit and keep officers on the force for an extended period of time.
In conducting exit interviews with officers who have left the Coleman Police Department, City Manager Diana Lopez found that a better salary, the ability to move up within the department and incentive pay scales for additional training were some of the reasons the officers left the Coleman PD. Since August 2018, four patrol officers have moved on and the City has worked to fill those vacancies.
Lopez and the Council went over the current budgeted positions for the Coleman Police Department. The force is made up of 9 people.
- Chief of Police
- One Sergeant who has a Detective Assignment
- Two Sergeants
- Five Patrol Officers
“Right now, we have a vacancy in patrol. Of the five budgeted positions, we are down to four,” Lopez said. She added it is somewhat difficult to provide 24/7 coverage with only four officers, saying it is “not sustainable”. Making matters worse, the PD may be down to just two patrol officers as two others may soon be moving on.
The City conducted a Pay Study of surrounding police departments in Brady, Bangs, Winters, Ballinger and even the Coleman County Sheriff’s Department.
“In looking at the compensation analysis, the City of Coleman ranks at the lower end of that pay scale,” Lopez said. The study focuses on patrol officers only and their range of benefits.
City of Coleman Patrol Officer – $34,840 annually or $16.75 per hour – City of Coleman offers paid medical, paid life insurance, participation in the Texas Municipal Retirement System at a 7% contribution rate with the City of Coleman matching 2 to 1.
Coleman Co. Sheriff’s Department – employs four deputies – Hourly rate is $20.28 or a base annual salary of $42,175. They participate in a similar retirement system with a match of 1.25 to 1. The contribution on the employ side is 7%, just as the City of Coleman. The County provides paid medical and paid life insurance to their deputies.
City of Brady – Officers are paid $19.25 per hour or an annual salary of $40,040. They are a 6% TMRS city (retirement) with a 2 to 1 match by the City. Coleman has lost patrol officers to the City of Brady.
City of Bangs – Officers are paid $18.87 per hour or an annual salary of $39,254. Retirement is just as Coleman at 7%.
City of Winters – Officers are paid between $15.77 and $16.50 per hour which is less than a patrol officer currently makes in the City of Coleman.
City of Ballinger – Officers are paid between $15 to start and a max of $17.77. The city is a 5% employee match and a 1 to 1 city in benefits.
After study, the recommendation to the Council from city management was to raise the hourly salary of a Coleman Police Department Patrol Officer from $16.75 hourly to $19.50 hourly effective August 4, 2019. The Council voted 4-0 to increase the wages.