Justice on a Budget: The Struggle for Fair Compensation for Police Chiefs

Policing is one of the essential components of any civilized society, tasked with maintaining law and order, protecting life and property, and preventing crime. Police chiefs are the top law enforcement officers in their respective jurisdictions, overseeing their departments and ensuring they operate efficiently, effectively, and justly. Over the years, the role of police chiefs has evolved, and with it, the expectations of their performance. However, a police chief’s pay has remained the same.

Being CEO of a police department is one of the most complicated and challenging jobs, especially considering the ramifications for the public if the job is performed poorly. Navigating the political terrain effectively can be almost impossible. A police chief must serve three primary constituencies; the community, the staff of the department, which may include the union, and the hiring authority, which can be the City Manager, Mayor, or City Council. In many cases, what is best for one of these groups is at odds with another.

The Role of Police Chief

Police chiefs provide strategic leadership and guidance to their officers, ensuring they are well-trained, equipped, and deployed effectively. Police chiefs are responsible for ensuring that their departments operate within the law, uphold human rights, and are accountable to the communities they serve.

To carry out these responsibilities effectively, police chiefs must have exceptional leadership skills, knowledge of law enforcement practices, and the ability to communicate with the public and government officials. They must also be able to manage and motivate their officers, build partnerships with community organizations and stakeholders, and collaborate with other agencies to achieve common goals.

Despite these challenges and difficulties, a police chief’s job is one of the most rewarding jobs imaginable.

Police Officer Pay

Before I continue, let me pause and say that police officers who do the hard work daily deserve to be paid way more than they are today. Although police officer pay has increased in some areas of the country, pay still lags in many other communities. However, this article focuses exclusively on police chief pay.

Police Chiefs Serve

Few police chiefs or aspiring police chiefs would argue that pay for police chiefs doesn’t need to improve. Yet police chiefs willingly serve their community with honor and distinction, regardless of income.

Of course, pay for police chiefs has improved significantly in the last decade. The pay for police chiefs is moving in a more positive direction that reflects their critical role in providing services to the community, building a positive culture within their organizations, and maintaining trust with their community.

But for many police chiefs, the gap in pay from what they make to what they should make is wide.

An issue of concern with police chief’s pay is the disparity in compensation compared to other high-level positions in public service. While police chiefs are responsible for safeguarding their communities, their salaries often pale compared to those of other public officials, such as city managers or school superintendents. This discrepancy raises questions about the value society places on the role of police chiefs and their contributions to public safety.

Of course, CEOs of similar-sized businesses receive far better compensation as well.

Determining Factors for Pay

Despite improvements in pay, disparities amongst police chief pay still exist. Governments that can afford to pay a higher level of compensation do so while the poorer cities and counties struggle. In most cases, pay for the CEO of the department is based on something other than agency size, the population of the city, or even the amount of work required. In large part, pay is based on the financial resources of each city and where the city is located geographically.

A quick review of current police chief advertisements reveals the variations in police chief pay.

• The Pittsburg Police Department has 900 employees, and the new police chief will make up to $180,000.
• The Camden, SC Police Department has 39 employees, and their next police chief will make between $90,000-$115,000.
• The Richmond, VT Police Department has five employees, and the new police chief will earn $75,000.
• The Victoria, TX Police Department has 167 employees, and their next police chief will make between $125,000-$150,000.

These few advertisements for police chiefs demonstrate the variations in police chief pay between departments.

Police Chief Salary Debate

The debate about police chief salaries increased in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. Calls to defund the police spread across the country, and many highly qualified police chiefs lost their jobs or resigned because they were unwilling to compromise their beliefs.

After all the controversy over the last several years, the City of Minneapolis recently voted to increase the salary of the police chief significantly to a range of $240,000-$300,000 to attract high-quality candidates.

In Waterloo, Iowa, the City Council recently increased the new police chief’s salary from $141,000 to $165,000 despite public opposition.

Potential Consequences of Low Salaries

Inadequate compensation for police chiefs can have numerous consequences. Firstly, it may deter highly qualified individuals from pursuing or remaining in this critical position. Talented candidates may choose alternative career paths that offer better financial rewards, resulting in a dearth of competent leaders within law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, the financial strain faced by police chiefs can impact morale, job satisfaction, and overall departmental performance.

Recruiting and retaining qualified police chiefs become challenging when compensation is insufficient. Talented candidates with extensive experience and proven leadership skills may be dissuaded from applying, leaving departments with limited options. Existing police chiefs, frustrated with stagnant wages, may be enticed by more lucrative opportunities in the private sector or retire earlier than expected, leading to a leadership vacuum within law enforcement agencies.

Creative Ideas

In St. Louis, there was concern that if they could not increase the pay, they would not be able to attract a high-quality candidate. Therefore, they got creative.

The salary for the new police chief was set at $175,000. However, the St. Louis Police Foundation has chipped in another $100,000 a year, bringing the total compensation for the police chief to $275,000, which far exceeds similarly sized police departments.

Of course, having an outside entity contribute 40% of a police chief’s salary evokes questions about possible outside influence and the independence of the position.

Ideally, an increase in compensation for a police chief should come from the employer of the police chief rather than an outside entity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, whether police chiefs should make more money is a complex question, and there are arguments on both sides of the debate. On the one hand, providing police chiefs with competitive compensation can help to attract and retain top talent and improve accountability.  On the other hand, there is a risk that increased compensation could lead to public resentment, exacerbate existing inequalities within police departments, and may not necessarily lead to improved outcomes.

To ensure justice on a budget, addressing the struggle for fair compensation among police chiefs requires collaborative efforts. Policymakers, city officials, and community members must recognize the importance of adequately compensating police chiefs and be willing to allocate resources accordingly. Public support and engagement are crucial in advocating for fair compensation that reflects the critical role of police chiefs in maintaining public safety.

In the end, police chief pay will likely be driven by the needs of the city or county, the current hiring market, the wishes of the community, and the financial resources available.

Sign up below to receive my periodic newsletter.