City Council faces community blow-back on police recruitment
By Charles Perez
Click here for updates on this story
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — In Tuesday night’s Asheville City Council meeting, local leaders got an earful from residents who charged when with not doing enough to support local law enforcement. Among the many charges levied at the council, were accusations that they haven’t acted fast enough to address the issue of declining numbers on the Asheville police force.
In the wake of the riots that stemmed from the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2022, the Asheville Police Department saw a significant decline in the number of officers serving on the force.
Since then, the department has taken steps to recruit officers, but, according to residents making public comments, those efforts haven’t been enough.
According to Tom Tesser, from the Asheville Coalition for Public Safety, the issue comes down to money. “We don’t have enough starting salary,” says Tesser. “We need to give retirement, medical benefits – is key.” He blamed the council for not giving the APD the financial resources to recruit new and seasoned officers at a time that crime is on the rise, the population is growing, and the police force is shrinking.
According to the Asheville Police Department, the starting salary for a trainee is approximately $42,000, with a base salary of around $46,000 with certification.
Though the numbers are on par with other departments in North Carolina, officers in Asheville are faced with a cost of living that is the highest in the state.
In comparison, Charlotte has a slightly lower cost of living while base pay for a police officer begins at $52,000 with a $7,500 signing bonus. APD recruits receive a $3,500 signing bonus.
According to the APD, the biggest barriers to recruitment are the declining interest in law enforcement as a profession and the competitive marketplace. The average salary for a police officer nationally is $67,000 per year.
The state of North Carolina ranks 41 out of 50 in police officer pay.
Asheville police currently has approximately 140 officers available for patrol daily, while a fully staffed department would be closer to 200 available officers.
The 30% deficiency has safe street advocates like Tom Tesser concerned. “While the rise in crime is increasing,” says Tesser, “our police force is dwindling.” It’s a concern he shares with others who made their voices heard before the city council, suggesting the council is overly weighed with less urgent priorities. “What’s going on in Asheville,” Tesser asks. “If you don’t have safety, all of that other stuff doesn’t matter. It is priority one.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
