ATLANTA — The president of the union representing Atlanta Police officers is predicting officers will begin leaving the department at a higher rate if the city signs off on a current proposal of a 2% officer pay raise.
The proposal is part of the city's budget for the 2023 fiscal year, which is currently being debated and must be finalized by the end of June.
Kevin Knapp is president of the Atlanta chapter of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers. He called a 2% pay raise a "kick in the face."
"The 12% raise that I pushed forward was the bottom of the Emory pay study that was provided to the city a few months ago. They in fact said it should be 12 to 18% immediately," Knapp said.
Knapp added the study also suggested a yearly 2.5% raise to offset any cost of living increases.
Currently, the union president said the city and union are nowhere near finding a compromise. Knapp said he is willing to resume talks after he suggested the 12% raise during city budget meetings in mid-May. Recently though he hasn't heard from anyone representing the city.
"I would obviously take the call, our executive board would take the call. We are willing to hear anything, reasons why we are or aren't doing certain things," he said.
Currently, officers are already leaving for other police departments both locally and nationally where salaries are higher than what the city of Atlanta is offering, according to Knapp.
He believes APD needs to increase wages to remain competitive while recruiting and looking to retain officers. Knapp described how the department is already hundreds of officers short of being fully staffed and he envisions a 2% raise could create a public safety issue.
"You are going to see an exodus of officers throughout this department, going to other local jurisdictions and other jurisdictions nationally."
Since taking office in January, Mayor Andre Dickens has mentioned his goal of hiring 250 new officers by the end of the year.
Knapp said the city is likely to meet that goal, but he described how the city cannot train that many new recruits in a single year and he believes it wouldn't be able to offset any exodus of officers.
"I think the highest number that we have ever pushed out in recent years is about 120. That doesn't keep up with the retention issue that we have," he said.
Also at risk is morale.
During Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' one term in office, APD officers told 11Alive that for several reasons morale hit records lows.
But during the Dickens administration, Knapp previously described to 11Alive how morale was on the rebound. The pay raise proposal currently has that progress in jeopardy.
"It definitely is going to ruin any morale that has been built during the past 160 days," Knapp said. "There is no doubt about it."
11Alive contacted the city of Atlanta Monday about the proposed pay raise for Atlanta Police officers but didn't receive a response.
*The story's headline has been corrected to better reflect the initial quote from the police union leader.