City Council Approves $10,000 Retention Bonus for Tuscaloosa Police Officers, Establishes Task Force
August 3, 2023
On Tuesday, August 1 the Tuscaloosa City Council approved an ordinance establishing a $10,000 retention bonus for Tuscaloosa Police officers.
All Tuscaloosa Police officers who were employed as of August 1 will receive a one-time bonus of $10,000 that is subject to regular employee withholdings. This bonus is in addition to the $5,000 retention bonus for any patrol officers hired after March 1, 2023.
The ordinance also establishes a strategic review task force comprised of the chairs of the City Council’s Public Safety, Administrative, and Finance Committees which will work with Mayor Walt Maddox to create a strategic plan for the Tuscaloosa Police Department to be submitted to the City Council no later than August 1, 2024.
“Public safety remains the number one priority for the City of Tuscaloosa,” Mayor Walt Maddox said. “ The data is clear that crime in Tuscaloosa is down thanks to the hard work of our Tuscaloosa Police officers. I applaud the City Council for taking this step to continue to remain competitive as a great place for law enforcement officers to work, and look forward to continuing this discussion with the strategic review task force.”
To receive the bonus, eligible police officers must commit to serving with the Tuscaloosa Police Department for the next 24 months. The retention bonus will be paid to eligible police officers on September 8, 2023.