How About $11.00 an Hour to Risk Your Life?

After we published our blog on local wages, we received this from Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan:

A man or woman with a 4 year degree and not academy certified starts at my department for $11.01 per hour. Once certified that person goes to $11.37 per hour. After 5 years with my department and a 4 year degree that officer makes $11.97 per hour for the next 10 years when they receive a $600 per year increase and will retire at that rate. The only way they move from that rate of pay is to be promoted which opportunities are limited by budgeted positions or cost of living raises which none of Tuscumbia's employees have received in the last 3 years. A classic example is a current Captain in with my department with 27 years with the City makes $14.37 per hour and has a 4 year degree.

I applaud Sheriff Singleton is his efforts to call out salary shortcomings for the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day to keep the Shoals one of the safest areas in the state and the southeast. He and I talk on a regular basis of ways to try and improve the pay for our officers.

Thanks for keeping important concerns in the public eye!

We're going to add that Chief Logan has recently required his department to obtain supplemental training on professional ethics. We feel 99% of those who serve start out to help the community. Unfortunately, many become jaded or even, pardon the analogy, turn to the dark side. Many thanks to all those who hang in there.



Shoalanda