The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
NEW ORLEANS — The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has had plenty of bad news lately, including the arrests of several deputies on various charges, but here is one large piece of good news: Its deputies, long poorly paid, will receive raises starting this month.
The money comes from an additional $3 million included in the office’s 2018 budget to cover costs associated with a court-ordered consent judgment.
Under the budget approved by the City Council, deputies’ base pay will go up by $2,000 annually starting this month and by another $1,500 starting July 1. That means a deputy’s base salary of $26,000 after six months will rise to $29,500 annually. Deputies who qualify for state supplemental pay will receive an additional $6,000 annually, boosting their pay to $35,500.
The deputies are also expected to receive an additional $3,500 pay increase in January 2019. That would mean a deputy who starts with the agency today and earns Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification could earn $39,000 annually by the end of 2019.
In a joint statement, Sheriff Marlin Gusman and Independent Compliance Director Gary Maynard said the raises have “been a primary goal for this office for years” and are “key to reaching the benchmarks outlined by the consent decree.”
They added: “These increases were hard-fought, and the decision of the City Council and mayor to support them will help better the security operations of the Orleans Parish jail facilities on a 24-hour-a-day basis. These pay increases will also help with staff retention and recruitment.”
©2018 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.