Brookhaven Cops Get A Pay Raise

BROOKHAVEN, GA -- Brookhaven has authorized a new pay scale and raises for police officers, sergeants and lieutenants. The ordinance approved this week by the city council authorizes the city manager to make adjustments as needed to ensure Brookhaven remains competitive in the public safety job market, according to a Brookhaven spokesman.

In a memo to the city manager, Police Chief Gaary Yandura wrote, “Police officer applicants have a vast array of agencies from which to select an employer, and certified police officers have a disincentive to remain at a single agency. Atlanta Police, DeKalb Police, and others have recently implemented pay increases for their existing officers and increased starting pay for new hires. Atlanta Police announced a 30% pay increase for their officers to be implemented over a 3-year period…[The] DeKalb County CEO vowed … that he would make DeKalb Police the highest paid in the State.”

Currently, 34 percent of Brookhaven officers have less than 2 years of policing experience. During 2018, Brookhaven hired 17 officers to fill 25 vacancies.

“Our police force is the bedrock of our very existence,” said Mayor John Ernst. “They take great care of our community, so we need to be sure we take care of them by staying competitive in
the job market.”

When the city began recruiting in 2013, the salary range utilized was competitive for the metro Atlanta area. Since that time, several surrounding agencies have altered their pay-scales so significantly that Brookhaven Police is now well behind the area trend. This compromises Brookhaven’s ability to attract new, experienced applicants and threatens retention of current employees.

A compensation review for all City positions was originally outlined in the 2019 budget, approved in November. Announcements of substantial pay increases in neighboring jurisdictions spurred Brookhaven to advance the study of police officer pay ahead of the others.

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