Some North Texas Police Departments Making New Push On Social Media To Recruit Officers

NORTH TEXAS (CSBDFW.COM) - With the growing population and a booming economy here in North Texas, it seems as if there's a giant help-wanted sign in just about every industry.

That includes law enforcement.

Some area police departments are making a new push on social media to recruit officers.

In the past week, the Irving Police Department tweeted "Hot Off the Press New Officer Pay Scale".

The department said annual starting pay is now nearly $69,000 and that after five and a half years, that starting officer can make more than $92,000 a year.

Officers who join Irving PD from other departments can top-out even sooner than someone without any experience.

Assistant Chief Brian Redburn said, "It's highly competitive. We're all competing for the same applicants."

Redburn said Tuesday the department recently increased its pay scale because they need officers.

"Right about now, we would have expected to achieve full-staffing in our sworn ranks," he said.  "That has not happened yet. We still have give or take 20 openings."

He said those openings are the result of the city of Irving adding 40 positions three years ago and attrition. "When you add all of that together, it makes it really challenging to get to full-staffing levels."

Redburn said considering attrition, he hopes to become fully-staffed within a year.

The Mesquite Police Department also announced it's hiring on social media this past week, highlighting its salary range between more than $63,000 and more than $84,000 a year.

Effective January 1, the salary range at Mesquite PD will increase to more than $66,000 and nearly $89,000.

The Plano Police Department had its own recruiting push on social media in February and against last month.

Officer Andrae Smith, the department's recruiter said both were successful.

"Absolutely. Every time we put out a tweet, a Facebook post, Next Door, we post something on a third-party website, my phone rings, my email dings."

On its Facebook page this fall, the Plano Police Department advertised a starting salary of more than $70,000.

Within three years of becoming certified as a police officer, they can earn more than $94,000 a year.

Officers can top out at more than $99,000.

Smith said their department's training and equipment also attract recruits. "I could tell you two weeks ago, we had 15 openings and we're half of that now."

We contacted other police departments in North Texas.

Arlington PD said a starting police officer makes more than $68,000 and after five years will earn nearly $87,000.

Garland PD said beginning this January, officers will start at more than $67,000 a year but get a raise regularly.

The top-out payment is nearly $91,000 at an officer's 12-year anniversary.

In Fort Worth, a starting police officer will earn more than $65,000, and officers between their fourth and six years on the force will make between more than $79,000 and more than $81,000.

A salary schedule for the Dallas Police Department shows starting officers will earn more than $64,000 and that after five years, an officer will make nearly $75,000.

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