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SR 769 - Local Law Enforce. Personnel - review of salaries, benefits

Bowen, Rooney L (13th)

Status Summary	SC:	Rules	HC:		FR:	03/16/00	LA:	03/16/00	S - Read 1st time

First Reader Summary

A resolution urging county governing authorities and municipal corporations to review the salaries and benefits of local law enforcement personnel and, where necessary, to adopt a minimum annual salary for deputy sheriffs, county police officers, and municipal police officers equivalent to or exceeding the beginning salary of correctional officers employed by the Georgia Department of Corrections; urging the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Georgia Municipal Association to support the creation of legislative committees to study salaries and benefits of deputy sheriffs, county police officers, and municipal police officers; and for other purposes.

SR 769                                             LC 10 3221 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                             A RESOLUTION 
 
  1- 1  Urging county governing authorities and municipal 
  1- 2  corporations to review the salaries and benefits of local 
  1- 3  law enforcement personnel and, where necessary, to adopt a 
  1- 4  minimum annual salary for deputy sheriffs, county police 
  1- 5  officers, and municipal police officers equivalent to or 
  1- 6  exceeding the beginning salary of correctional officers 
  1- 7  employed by the Georgia Department of Corrections; urging 
  1- 8  the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, the Association County 
  1- 9  Commissioners of Georgia, the Georgia Association of Chiefs 
  1-10  of Police, and the Georgia Municipal Association to support 
  1-11  the creation of legislative committees to study salaries and 
  1-12  benefits of deputy sheriffs, county police officers, and 
  1-13  municipal police officers and to make recommendations to 
  1-14  appropriate legislative committees regarding a schedule of 
  1-15  minimum salary and benefit requirements for deputy sheriffs, 
  1-16  county police officers, and municipal police officers; and 
  1-17  for other purposes. 
 
  1-18  WHEREAS, there are over 23,000 local law enforcement 
  1-19  officers and 1,300 state law enforcement officers 
  1-20  responsible for the investigation and apprehension of 
  1-21  criminal and traffic offenders throughout the State of 
  1-22  Georgia; and 
 
  1-23  WHEREAS, the State of Georgia has continued to achieve 
  1-24  significant progress in providing state employed officers 
  1-25  reasonable salaries and benefits; and 
 
  1-26  WHEREAS, sheriffs, county police chiefs, and municipal 
  1-27  police chiefs are finding it increasingly difficult to 
  1-28  attract and retain qualified individuals willing to assume 
  1-29  local law enforcement positions; and 
 
  1-30  WHEREAS, many unskilled employment positions in the private 
  1-31  sector receive higher compensation and benefits, safer 
  1-32  working conditions, and less liability than that afforded to 
  1-33  local law enforcement officers; and 
 
  1-34  WHEREAS, many local law enforcement officers must work extra 
  1-35  off-duty jobs in order to provide a basic quality of life 
  1-36  for their families; and 
 
 
 
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  2- 1  WHEREAS, local law enforcement officers routinely place 
  2- 2  their lives in peril for the protection of the public; and 
 
  2- 3  WHEREAS, it is vitally important to the public safety of our 
  2- 4  state to attract the most qualified, capable, and honorable 
  2- 5  candidates to serve as local law enforcement officers; and 
 
  2- 6  WHEREAS, every effort must be made by the sheriffs, local 
  2- 7  governing authorities, chiefs of police, and municipal 
  2- 8  corporations to ensure that adequate compensation and 
  2- 9  benefits are provided commensurate with the 
  2-10  responsibilities, duties, and dangers placed upon local law 
  2-11  enforcement officers. 
 
  2-12  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF 
  2-13  REPRESENTATIVES that all county governing authorities and 
  2-14  municipal corporations are urged to review the salaries and 
  2-15  benefits of their law enforcement personnel and, where 
  2-16  necessary, to adopt a minimum annual salary for deputy 
  2-17  sheriffs, county police officers, and municipal officers at 
  2-18  the level of or exceeding the beginning salary of 
  2-19  correctional officers employed by the Georgia Department of 
  2-20  Corrections. 
 
  2-21  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Georgia Sheriffs' 
  2-22  Association, the Association County Commissioners of 
  2-23  Georgia, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, and 
  2-24  the Georgia Municipal Association are urged to support the 
  2-25  creation of legislative study committees on local law 
  2-26  enforcement salaries and benefits. 
 
  2-27  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Georgia Sheriffs' 
  2-28  Association, the Association County Commissioners of 
  2-29  Georgia, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, and 
  2-30  the Georgia Municipal Association are urged to conduct 
  2-31  ongoing reviews of salaries and benefits of local law 
  2-32  enforcement personnel employed by county governing 
  2-33  authorities and municipal corporations and to make 
  2-34  recommendations to appropriate legislative committees 
  2-35  concerning a minimum salary and benefits schedule for deputy 
  2-36  sheriffs, county police officers, and municipal police 
  2-37  officers. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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