SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – After Myrtle Beach City Council voted in January to raise police officer pay, other areas around the Grand Strand expect to feel the impact.
Some council members in the Town of Surfside Beach have brought their concerns of officer recruitment and retention to Police Chief Kenneth Hofmann.
“We are facing a problem coming down the road,” Councilman Tim Courtney said at a meeting in January. “It’s unfortunate when Time Warner is paying more than our police department is.”
Hofmann said the pay raises in Myrtle Beach are significant and he expects to feel an impact.
“They’re going to be drawing all the experienced officers from other agencies to their agency,” he added. “And their crime might go down and that very well could push that crime outside of the City of Myrtle Beach and we will be impacted by that. So that’s just something I worry about.”
Courtney said he’s afraid the increase will cause officers to leave Surfside Beach for better pay.
“We don’t need to be losing police officers,” said Courtney. “When we lose them it costs us money.”
Hofmann said, to his knowledge, only two of his officers have gone to Myrtle Beach Police in the past few years. He also explained how producing a fully certified police officer with new equipment costs the town and its residents about $36,000 but if some equipment can be reissued the cost is about $30,000. However, he said about 70% of the recent turnover at the Surfside Beach Police Department is not due to offers leaving to go other agencies for better pay.
“I think that pay is a piece of that,” Hofmann said to the council. “But I will never as your Police Chief stand here in front of you and tell you that if you pay a certain amount we will stop attrition. It’s impossible to stop attrition.”
Hofmann said since January 2012, 28 people have left the department: nine went to the private sector, eight went to other agencies, five retired, three were terminated or resigned in lieu of termination and two went to federal law enforcement.
“I want to make full disclosure on that. It wasn’t always about pay. But we have a game changer in place right now,” he added.
Councilwoman Julie Samples acknowledged the challenge Hofmann faces because he runs a smaller agency.
“We’re a small town. How in the world can we compare ourselves to Myrtle Beach, Conway, North Myrtle Beach?” asked Samples. “We do not have the acreage to patrol. So I’m hoping we can take a look at increasing police officers’ pay but surely we can be mindful of the fact that what we do here and how we do it is a little different.”
Courtney said he believes the police department is underpaid. When Hofmann said the department doesn’t need to match Myrtle Beach’s pay, Courtney asked,” What is the solution then?”
Hofmann said he wants to look at a percentage increase so he can offer a competitive salary in regards to other agencies in the area. He will present a detailed plan at the town’s visioning workshop on Thursday.