DeKalb Co. police officers receive pay raises

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Beginning today, hundreds of DeKalb County police officers are benefitting from a pay increase.

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochrane-Johnson wanted to give officers big raises, plus stipends to make it easier to afford to live in their communities.

Her goal is to have DeKalb County offer some of the highest salaries in the metro Atlanta area.

To do so, county officials said they would be moving funds from different parts of the county budget to invest $10.43 million into the effort.

The following salary adjustments are now in effect:

Police Recruits: Base salary increased to $61,000 ($64,050 with a degree)
Police Officers: Base salary increased to $62,525 ($65,651 with a degree)
Police Officer Senior: New base salary of $70,000 ($73,500 with a degree)
Master Police Officers, Helicopter Pilots, Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, and Majors received a 7.1% salary increase

“This pay increase is not just about numbers—it’s about valuing the men and women who put their lives on the line every day for DeKalb County. Investing in public safety is an investment in economic development, property values, and the well-being of our entire community My administration is committed to ensuring our officers have the support, resources, and respect they deserve,” Cochran-Johnson said in a statement. “Investing in public safety is an investment in economic development, property values, and the well-being of our entire community. My administration is committed to ensuring our officers have the support, resources, and respect they deserve.”

The county is looking to fill the roughly 300 open police officer positions.

The county said the DeKalb County Police Department has 841 funded sworn positions, but only 531 of those are filled.

The police department will hold a recruiting event on Saturday, March 8 at 9 a.m.

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