BCSO, APD offers new incentives to recruit more officers

Brianna Wilson | KOB

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BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. – The Bernalillo County sheriff says his deputies will soon have the highest starting salary in New Mexico.

Those working for the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office will be getting a 17% raise thanks to a recent decision by the county commission. 

“You have to pay your people correctly, and everyone talks about morale,” said BCSO Sheriff John Allen. “Morale is very important when you know that you can pay your bills and do some a little extra with it.”

Allen laid it all out in a lengthy Tweet: $10,000 bonuses for all new hires, $15,000 officers coming from different agencies, and wages ranging from $35 to $45 an hour.

“Everybody’s battling for to have more people on their office,” said Allen. 

Including the Albuquerque Police Department. APD is also offering $10 to $15,000 sign-on bonuses, and raising starting pay for cadets from $19 to $28 an hour. 

“As we push out new incentives, you see other agencies follow suit pretty quickly, because they just have to,” said APD Lt. Jacob Hoisington. 

“We have to compete,” Allen said. “I would love in the next year, just to get up up–hire at least 30. I did ask for 10 deputies over if we ever get there because you have to factor in attrition and retirements also.”

Both metro agencies say they’re not just looking for new hires, they’re looking for law enforcement officers who are willing to stick around.

“The worst thing you can do is offer up too much incentive at the front end. And then you train them, get them to where you want, and then they lateral walk somewhere else with all your training,” said Hoisington. 

Those new pay rates and incentives for BCSO will take effect July 1. They’re already in place for APD.

For more information about those incentives, click here for APD, and here for BCSO.