Starting Raleigh Officers Get Pay Increases, Higher Ranks Get Nothing

There is some dissension in the ranks at theRaleigh Police Department. Officers from entry-level to sergeants received pay raises, but the highest-ranking officers did not.

"I think it's a Band-Aid to the problem," says Sgt. Jeff Fluck, who says the officers who now may be feeling the pain are the most experienced officers.

After subtracting the 5 percent across-the-board pay raise for all city employees, police officers get at least a 3 percent raise and more on merit, investigators will get 2.4 percent and sergeants 2.1 percent.

However, higher ranking officers including lieutenants, captains, and majors get nothing.

"Officers who have been here and achieved success are being told, 'We're not looking at you right now,'" Fluck said.

Up until now, the city has not been able to recruit new officers because of pay; now, Sgt. Fluck is concerned Raleigh's finest may look elsewhere.

"I think that those who are in the position to get jobs with comparable responsibility and rank in other departments to finish out their career, may look at it," Fluck said.

"I don't want them to feel compelled to move on to somewhere else or to take early retirement," said Benson Kirkman, one of the Raleigh City Council members who passed the budget.

"We're not going to be able to do it all in one year," Kirkman said. "We made a small increment last year. We made a bigger increment this year. Hopefully, next year we'll be able to address some of the other needs."

Kirkman says he and several other city council members consider this increase as part of a two part pay increase for police; with part two to come in next year's budget. Photographer: Joe Anthony