Employee Pay Raises Up To 20% Says DeKalb County Sheriff Maddox

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that employees will see significant increases in their December paychecks.

The pay raises represent the largest single across-the-board increases in the agency’s history, and result from a mid-year budget adjustment that boosted its annual operating budget by an additional $3.8 million, according to a news release.

“Raising salaries at the sheriff’s office has been a priority since day one,” said Sheriff Melody M. Maddox in the release. “Pay increases for current staff, and more competitive salary offers for new hires have been stalled for too long. The delay has impacted our ability to retain experienced personnel and recruit qualified, career-minded team members.”

An increase of 3.5 percent will be applied to base salaries for every employee of the agency. Some non-supervisory positions will see total increases of up to 20 percent after adjustments are made to bring salaries in line with the new rates.

Higher base salaries for newly-hired Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers will become effective at the start of 2022. The Deputy Sheriff’s annual salary will begin at $51,000, and the Detention Officers’ base annual salary will range from $44,818 to $47,060, depending on education.

“Our dedicated deputies, detention officers, other sworn and non-sworn personnel, and administrative staff deserve compensation that is commensurate with the risks and responsibilities of their jobs, especially in light of the current public health crisis and public sentiments regarding law enforcement,” Maddox said. “We are pleased to be able to recognize their value and contributions in this way.”