Atlanta police union asks for significant pay bump for officers

ATLANTA - The staffing levels at the Atlanta Police Department are dangerously low.

That is what a police union representative told Atlanta City Council members during a budget briefing.

Lt. Kevin Knapp said it is critical the city upgrade police pay. He said neighboring counties are offering $10,000, even more, for officers to leave the city. 

"We have six or seven investigators trying to quietly process out (leave) for fear of retaliation," Knapp explained. 

At a time when the homicide count in Atlanta is high, the city can ill afford such departures. 

"These are seasoned people," Knapp added. "You are losing that knowledge." 

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Atlanta is authorized to have 2,000 police staff. 

The union president said currently there are fewer than 1,400. He is not counting more than 150 recruits who have been hired. The reason is they have yet to become officers and cannot perform police duties while awaiting classwork, graduation and ultimately a badge and a gun. 

The union said it is not enough to tread water and train new people, but let veterans exit primarily due to pay.

Knapp encouraged the council to back an across-the-board 12% pay boost. 

Such a plan would increase starting pay significantly to just above $60,000 per year.