Updated in January 2023.
Have you been waiting for a reason to start your application to join the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department? Good news: We’ve got five.
From one of the nation’s best hiring incentives to job security, increased starting officer pay to secondary language incentives, here are our top reasons the time is right to accelerate your career with CMPD:
No. 1: Increased pay and enhanced benefits
Charlotte’s budget for the 2023 fiscal year puts special emphasis on retaining and investing in police and other city employees. Specifically, it:
- Increases starting police officer pay by 10.5% in January 2023 (up from a 9% increase in July 2022).
- Provides a 3% market adjustment (1.5% in July and 1.5% in January) plus a 2.5 to 5% step increase for all eligible public safety pay plan employees.
- Maintains current employee healthcare premiums.
- Provides a 4% merit pool for salaried, non-sworn employees.
- Provides a 1% one-time retention incentive (from American Rescue Plan Act funds) for new full-time employees hired between July 1 and Sept. 9, 2022. This incentive is available to ranks of Major and below.
- Supports a shift differential incentive of 2.5% beginning Jan. 7, 2023. This incentive will be available for permanent, regularly scheduled work on the second, third and fourth shifts.
- Enhances the education incentive so there is no up-front cost for employees to receive an associate’s degree from Central Piedmont Community College.
- Provides for homeownership assistance through the House Charlotte homeowner assistance program with $2 million in the program dedicated for city employees.
No. 2: $7,500 hiring bonus
CMPD knows the value of its officers’ commitment to serving the Charlotte community. That’s why we offer a $7,500 hiring bonus for all lateral officers and new police recruits. This incentive is structured to reward recruits throughout training and after their first year of service with CMPD.
No. 3: Expanded secondary language incentive
Independent of the enhanced benefits outlined in the new budget, CMPD also offers a 5% secondary language incentive.
The languages that currently qualify for the Secondary Language Incentive Program (SLIP) include Spanish, Yoruba, Vietnamese, Chinese-Taiwan, Chinese-PRC, Arabic, Gujarati, Hindi, Portuguese, Somali, Hausa, Japanese, Korean, Ukrainian and Russian.
Languages are selected based on need, U.S. Census data and compliance with federal non-discrimination language requirements.
No. 4: No layoffs or furloughs
As a recession looms and layoffs begin to sweep the country, Charlotte’s City Council earlier this month adopted a balanced and fiscally responsible budget that does not lay off or furlough employees.
What’s more: The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget, effective July 1, 2022, does not increase taxes, reduce core services or use any operating reserves.
No. 5: Funding for a safe community
Charlotte’s FY 2023 budget also provides funding to ensure a safe community for all by operationalizing the SAFE Charlotte plan, which:
- Allocates $1 million for the SAFE Charlotte grant program supporting community organizations.
- Launches Civilian Assistance: Respond, Engage, Support (CARES) Team for mental health, substance abuse and homelessness calls for service with a $330,000 award from the State of North Carolina.
- Leverages $1 million in federal funds to expand the Alternatives to Violence program to two new sites.
- Updates internal operations at CMPD, including a $118,000 provision for a new early intervention system.
Accelerate your career here.
Ready to join the men and women of CMPD? Start your new trainee, lateral entry or intermediate entry application today.
