KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department is asking the city for an additional $2.9 million so it could pay officers higher salaries.
Chief Paul Noel asked for the increase during a budget hearing with Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon on March 6. Starting pay for most KPD officers increased to $46,000 per year in 2020.
Officers at the University of Tennessee Police Department are paid a $51,000 per year starting salary, and so are deputies at the Knox County Sheriff's Office after Knox County leaders agreed to a pay increase in June.
Making the case for officer pay raises, he also said KPD helped lead violence reduction efforts across Knoxville throughout 2023 and implemented a new accountability system throughout the department.
"The reality is that, you know, over the last two years other agencies have really passed us by. We have the lowest starting pay for law enforcement in the county, in the region. And the reality is that we have a lot of people, many people eligible to retire right now, 90-plus eligible to retire right now. By 2027, that number is going to be well over 130," Noel said. "It's paramount that they are fairly compensated for the difficult, often thankless, work that they do."
He said in 2023, KPD saw a net loss in staffing and recruitment, losing officers to higher-paying agencies and to security work at nearby facilities like Y-12. Noel said KPD has 336 people on its staff, including himself. He said that number includes uniformed police officers, administrative staff and other kinds of workers. The department's authorized staff is 416 people.
"Trends that we're seeing across policing, in general — David and I, we came on to be in this profession for our entire lives. The paradigm shifted to be more like the military, like, enlisted military personnel coming on to do policing for five, ten years but not staying the entire time," he said. "The paradigm has shifted in police recruiting across the country."
Leaders at the meeting also said KPD was paying below-market salaries for its officers. Kincannon said the law enforcement labor market has become more competitive and challenging for departments. Leaders at the meeting said people who want to become police officers can effectively go anywhere they want in the country and find a job.
"The people that we're touching in our recruiting efforts have more than doubled. The number of people that we actually get in the door and interview for the job has decreased dramatically. And it's not because we're doing anything wrong, it's because they have so many different options out there," said Noel.
Kincannon asked if KPD thought about using signing bonuses to attract new recruits. Noel said he wanted to offer people competitive starting salaries instead, "where we would be the highest-paid agency" compared to similar departments in the region. He also said he wanted to offer improved pay increases for new recruits, helping retain officers for longer periods of time.
Kincannon is expected to present her budget proposal for the year at the State of the City address in April. Knoxville City Council will need to then approve it.
