BATON ROUGE, La. – December 8, 2020 – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome secured a 3% pay raise for every Baton Rouge police officer at the Tuesday evening Metro Council budget hearing. The pay increase goes into effect at the end of the month, and is the product of a multi-year initiative under Mayor Broome.

“These pay raises are well deserved for our officers who serve our community and help keep our citizens safe,” said Mayor Broome. “The increase is a first step towards making the Baton Rouge Police Department competitive with surrounding agencies, which will help us attract and retain qualified officers.”

The pay increase comes after Mayor Broome and the Metro Council commissioned two studies: a disparity study comparing officer compensation to peer agencies and an efficiency study to find cost savings within the Baton Rouge Police Department budget.

The raises are being implemented purely through efficiencies, without additional cost to taxpayers. Officers who meet performance standards will also receive an additional 3% merit raise.