Hope Mills Police Chief Stephen Dollinger is calling for an increase to the department’s base salaries and the implementation of a step pay plan, citing vacant positions that remain unfilled and officers who have left because of pay differences in neighboring agencies.
The town's board of commissioners called a special meeting Tuesday to hear presentations from Dollinger on a pay and staffing study for the police department he began working on in 2022.
While the town is conducting separate pay studies for each town department, the results won’t be available until around April, according to the board. Dollinger began meeting with commissioners individually last week to discuss the urgent need for pay increases for the police department.
Dollinger said the most significant issue is the competition with the Fayetteville Police Department and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. The lowest-paid officer at the FPD is paid $45,000; at the CCSO, it’s $50,800, and for Hope Mills, it’s $40,915. The highest-paid officer for the FPD is $64,500, and the CCSO is $79,987. For Hope Mills, the highest-paid officer, who's been with the department for 16 years, earns $50,328.
Dollinger told the board the compensation discrepancies are costing him officers and staff. He said he's lost six officers in the last two months and will soon lose four more.
Dollinger is also asking for more officer positions to become available. Currently, the town has 41 positions, though only 39 of those are filled. Additionally, two individuals are retiring, one officer is on administrative leave, and another is leaving to join another agency in January, which means only 35 officers are on staff.
Of those 35 individuals, six officers are being certified and one is on light duty — meaning they are restricted from going out into the field. This means only 28 officers are on full duty for the entire town. This does not take into consideration vacation time, sick leave, mandatory training and comp time.
The town approved two additional officers for this fiscal year, and a grant was awarded to the police department for three other officers. Even so, the department has been unable to fill these positions.
Dollinger attributes that to pay.
“When I prepared for this presentation, I did so with a fiscal responsibility,” Dollinger said. “I understand that the town of Hope Mills doesn’t have the same tax base as Fayetteville and all of Cumberland County does, so obviously you wouldn’t be able to pay our officers the same amount as those other agencies.”
The proposed step plan would raise the base salary to $48,000. Then, the officer would receive a $1,500 increase every year of service for up to 10 years. This would not include cost of living allowances or merit raises.
The last significant pay raise to the base salary was a decade ago, according to Dollinger.
Leesa Jensen, Hope Mills’ human resources director, also presented possible benefits the town could offer town employees to make the position more desirable.
She offered recruitment solutions such as an employee referral program, hiring candidates through Basic Law Enforcement Training, target advertising, and partnering with the Fort Liberty Transition Assistance Program (TAP). The program “provides comprehensive transition services to separating and retiring soldiers,” according to the U.S. Army. In partnering with the program, the police department could target soldiers and military police to join the Hope Mills force.
For retention, Jensen said the town should look at offering flexible benefits, making higher 401k matches for retirement plans, investing in employees' professional development, and having wellness benefits.
Commissioner Elyse Craver said she wants to see these benefits implemented.
“I believe in the benefits,” Craver said. “Sometimes, the benefits outweigh the increase in salaries.”
Commissioner Joanne Scarola asked for a climate survey to be sent to police employees to ask what benefits they would like to see.
Interim Town Manager Chancer McLaughlin told the board they would be presented with options regarding the police department salaries and benefits at their upcoming regular meeting on Dec. 18. The board will then be asked to make an official decision on the salary increase and step pay plan proposals.
“It’s not ‘if’ we should do this, but ‘how,’” McLaughlin said.
The board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the Bill Luther Boardroom at the Hope Mills Town Hall.
Contact Hannah Lee at hannahleenews@gmail.com.
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