BEECH GROVE — After approvals from their respective city councils, both Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers and Beech Grove Police Department officers can expect pay increases starting in 2023.
For IMPD, the hope is to attract new recruits with a higher starting salary and a signing bonus. For BGPD, the hope is to retain the full staff of officers they already have.
BGPD has 38 police officers currently on staff, all 38 will receive a pay increase next year.
"This is basically step two of a three-step program and step three going forward which will be next year and there is a plan in place to increase it even more,” Tom Hurrle, Deputy Chief of Operations for BGPD said.
Officers in Beech Grove will receive a 12% salary increase. An officer with three years of experience will start at a little more than $78,000 a year. A rookie officer will make a little more than $67,000 a year.
At IMPD, the base salary for new officers will increase to just over $61,000 annually. They will also be given a $10,000 signing bonus.
"The new recruit or the new officer will get half of that money at the completion of training and then will get the other half of that money once he or she completes their probationary year,” IMPD Deputy Chief Catherin Cummings said.
Unlike BGPD, IMPD is not fully staffed. They are actually down 200 officers currently and have had continued issues with recruiting.
“We are seeing people leave no different than anywhere else, but I think that's just part of what's happening right now in hiring across the country,” Cummings said. “And we are not seeing people leave just to other agencies. We are seeing people who have completed their career here with the IMPD and they are moving on to other industries.”
While IMPD hopes that an increase in pay will help recruit more officers, they also hope to reach other parts of the workforce.
"When you look at our talent pool, we need to look at the workforce pool as a whole and so that is everyone,” Cummings said. “Anyone who has ever even thought that they have interest in this job, come talk to us.”
-
Indiana launches 'Smart SNAP' banning sugary drinks, candy from food benefits
Indiana will become one of the first states in the nation to restrict SNAP food stamp purchases of sugary drinks and candy when new rules take effect January 1, 2026.
Indiana migration balanced for second year in a row
For the second year in a row, the number of people moving into and out of Indiana is greater than the number of people leaving.
Future of I-65, I-70: INDOT concludes ProPEL Indy study
I-65 and I-70 are two of the main ways to get in and around the Indy metro. The city's transportation network is due for a major revamp in the coming years.
IMPD specialized teams recover nearly 2,000 guns in 2025
Newly released numbers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department highlight the significant impact of specialized teams working to reduce violent crime across the Circle City.
