Tuscaloosa Council Approves Retention, Referral Bonuses For TPD Patrol Officers

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa City Council on Tuesday approved a $5,000 retention bonus for new Tuscaloosa Police officers, and a $2,500 referral bonus for current employees who refer a new patrol officer to join the department.

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The City of Tuscaloosa said police patrol officers hired after March 1, 2023 will now be eligible for a $5,000 retention bonus that will be distributed as follows:

• $2,000 paid after the completion of the probationary period of employment
• $1,500 paid after completion of the second year of employment
• $1,500 paid after completion of the third year of employment.

As for the referral bonuses, current TPD employees who refer a new Tuscaloosa Police patrol officer will now be eligible for a $2,500 recruitment bonus after the referred officer successfully completes their probationary period of employment.

The City Council will vote on establishing take-home police vehicles for all patrol officers at its next meeting on Tuesday, March 7.

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley said the investment will help TPD hire the best candidates, in order to maintain a high level of service to the community.

“We’re competing with other departments to hire the very best from a pool of candidates that keeps shrinking," he said. "Take-home cars have become routinely offered at other departments, and we’ve seen more sign-on bonuses offered in the last year. This is what we need to do to stay competitive, and we’re grateful to the council for taking this step.”

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