Henry County police offering higher pay, take-home vehicles for new officers

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Henry County police are offering competitive salaries and incentives to recruits.

They’re looking to fill 50 positions as soon as possible.

“The more motivated officers we have, we can answer our 911 calls at a very quick pace and that’s what we want in Henry County,” Henry County Police Sergeant Andrae Sykes told Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

County leaders knew that to get motivated people to apply to be a Henry County police officer or school resource officer, they had to offer more than some of the surrounding counties.

In the summer of last year, they got it.

Now, Sykes says, they have to get people in the door.

Starting salaries now range between $25 to $32 an hour.

That’s along with a competitive benefits package, including a take-home vehicle, paid holidays, a pension, and a 4-day work week.

To be eligible for a take-home vehicle, you need to live within 30 miles of the Henry County line.

Military veterans are also encouraged to apply because soldiers usually already have the sense of discipline that police officers need.

But even if you’ve never served in the military, the department is looking for good people in general. People who want to work.

“We’re looking for motivated individuals. People that really want to work and really help the community,” Sykes said.

TRENDING STORIES:

• ‘You ain’t safe nowhere:’ Clayton deputies have chilling message for teen murder suspect on the run
• Stepmother arrested on murder charges after 8-year-old Gwinnett girl beaten to death
• 17 arrested in Georgia sex-trafficking operation, GBI says

Even if you don’t want to apply, tell a friend or relative who might be interested, because Sykes said every single person in Henry County can benefit from a fully-staffed police force.

“Whether it’s a serious crime or just a simple alarm call, we want to get to that house in a quick timeframe,” Sykes said.

There are 28 open positions for uniformed patrol officers and 22 open positions for school resource officers.

If you’ve never been an officer you can expect about three months of training.

Officers coming from another department can expect about a month of training and you start getting paid on your first day of training.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Stepmother arrested on murder charges after 8-year-old Gwinnett girl beaten to death

©2023 Cox Media Group