Robstown Police Department proposes raises for officers at City Council

The Robstown Police Department discussed a preliminary proposal to City Council on Wednesday to get officers a raise.

The reason for this proposal is so the Robstown Police Department can offer competitive pay with surrounding police departments, as well as to encourage retention.

An academy-level Robstown Police officer starts off with a base pay of roughly $19 an hour, while the most senior member is at a base pay of $24.95. For comparison an entry level at Kingsville PD is at $22.57, and the most senior member is at a base pay at $29.97.

Fernando Arevalo

The proposal would bring increase of pay by 1$ and focus on better benefits for the police officers. There is also plans to negotatie with Robstown ISD to pay a service fee of $60,000 per year for dispatch officers to be at schools.

“I have a lieutenant, in the audience right now who is a thirty-year officer with the Robstown Police department," Robstown PD Chief Mike Tamez said. "Not only is he making what any patrolman at any other agency would make, but in thirty years he told me yesterday he can’t even rembember a time, that they got an actual pay raise. They’ve had one of cost of living increase, that was last year. They told me that was the first time in 7 years they got a cost of living increase.”

Robstown City Council still planning to meet at a later time to further discuss the Robstown Police Department getting a raise.

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