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Cleveland officials announced Friday another set of pay raises for police officers. The exact amounts differ based on an officer’s rank but some salaries will increase up to 14%. That’s on top of raises approved in 2022, and retention bonuses of up to $5,000 set aside from Cleveland’s share of federal stimulus money.
The city also recently doubled cadet pay to $24 per hour while the prospective officers are being trained. The pay hike is in addition to a $5,000 signing bonus that city leaders credit for a 45% surge in police officer applications since August.
Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration said the raises, negotiated with police unions, bring the salaries of Cleveland officers in line with or above the pay of other cities and suburbs, including Akron, Toledo and Parma. Previously, Cleveland’s officers were among the lowest paid in the state, which made attracting and keeping employees challenging.
As of Oct. 11, Cleveland had 1,211 sworn officers — 954 of whom patrol the streets. That’s 287 fewer officers than the city budgeted for this year. Deputy Chief Daniel Fay said the city has identified a pattern of officers leaving after serving between three and five years. The pay hikes are seen as a way to slow the transfers by providing higher pay for new officers as well as those already on the force.
The new agreement, which still must be approved by the Cleveland City Council, also includes a switch to 12-hour shifts for officers, eliminating the existing 10-hour shift schedules.
City officials hope the moves will ease the department’s overtime woes. Cleveland budgeted $13 million for department overtime in 2023 and has already paid out more than $20 million, according to Cleveland Documenters.
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