Georgia Law Enforcement Officers Getting 20 Percent Pay Raise

ATLANTA, GA — Gov. Nathan Deal on Thursday announced a law enforcement reform package that includes a 20 percent pay raise for more than 3,300 state law enforcement officers and an overhaul of officer training and certification courses.

The pay increase is effective Jan. 1, 2017, and represents more than $78 million in state funding for its Fiscal Year 2017 and 2018 budgets.

Deal also announced plans to increase continuing education training and certification courses; streamlining and expanding its crisis intervention training program; and creating a task force to review the current basic law enforcement officer training courses.

“Since our founding, one of government’s primary roles is the protection of its people,” said Deal. “While the responsibility to provide for the public’s safety has not changed over the course of time, the demands of fulfilling this fundamental obligation have changed and grown. We ask our law enforcement personnel of all levels and ranks to do a very difficult job, one that requires great skill, long suffering, and dedication of purpose. It is incumbent upon the government to recruit and retain the best and brightest, while equipping them with the training and resources they require. They deserve our unwavering commitment and support.

“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."

Image: Governor's Office