Governor proposes 20 percent pay raise for state law enforcement officers
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, along with agency directors and legislators, spoke to state law enforcement officers at the Capitol Thursday.
He announced a law enforcement reform package that would mean a 20 percent pay raise for more than 3,300 state law enforcement officers. It represents more than 78 million in state funding.
“Compensate them for a job that most people wouldn’t consider doing,” said Deal.
APP USERS: Click here to watch the Governor’s announcement
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The governor also proposed advanced training for officers on how they make arrests. His plan will require that law enforcement take part in continuing education, including training on the use of force.
“To that end, I’ve crafted a law enforcement proposal consisting of two major components: more pay for our state officers who risk their lives every day, and changes to how we train both state and local authorities who have the power to make arrests.”
The second phase of Governor Deal’s reform package involves the expansion of crisis intervention for individuals with mental disorders. The Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) is designed to prepare officers with the skills to approach individuals with mental illness.
Phase three of the task force will review how current law enforcement is trained and provide recommendations for improvement.
Under the Governor’s proposal, the pay raise would take effective January 1, 2017.
