Family & Friends of Cobb Police Officers

This avenue of social media has been created to provide those outside of the Cobb County Police Department the realities and truth of how Cobb County treats it's Police Officers. For over 10 years now the Police Officers and their families have suffered as Cobb County has grossly neglected to fairly and reasonably compensate it's Police Officers.
And time after time the County has/is taking advantage of the officers, sergeants, and lieutenants personality of dedication and service. We are offended that Cobb County would do such a thing to such a group of people, that who on a daily basis put others before themselves, make split second life changing decisions, and also multi-million dollar decisions. This forum would not be needed if the Police Officers could speak their mind without fear of reprisal.

So, in Cobb County it looks like the Police Department does all the heavy lifting, and the other departments ride along on their coat tails. I.E. the ridicules findings of the pay study. When the police officers show up to several BOC meetings with people to speak on their behalf they get the G.T.A.C. speech from the Chairman.
When a group of Cobb citizens show up and speak, they get a multi-million dollar park bond and Libraries.
I get it, they’re voters.
Chairman Boyce said he can’t find the money to give Public Safety the raises they deserve until the 2019 budget, Maybe! We all know Public Safety is just acronym for “back burner employees”. What are the employees to do? We do our jobs and hope that things turn around and the BOC finally throws us a bone. It’s usually just enough to keep us quiet for a period.
So, now it’s been three years and by the time 2019 budget comes around it will be over five. What if something comes up and the BOC needs to focus its 2019 budget in other directions and just can’t find the funds. Sorry maybe next time? I’ve been here a little over 10 years and my first several years I went without a raise. Yet I did my job waiting for the economy to turn around. So, what happen when things got better, BRAVES. I believe it’s time to correct the pay due to its public safety employees.
IT’S TIME TO MAKE A STAND!!!

I was "that guy" who would defend the county for the last 6-7 years and believed good things are coming.
Every time a coworker would bring up a deficiency or what needed improved:
Cheaper Health Insurance.
From no take-home cars to there's no more money for take-home cars.
To only getting a Merit Raise when our benefit contributions were going up.
To our 401/Hybrid retirement plan.
And I would counter with the positive things offered:
The automatic raise from PO I to PO II.
The shift differential.
The Education Incentive Pay.
The fact we even got the raises, and when we started we knew we weren't going to get rich from being a cop.
The Employee Clinic.
And if all else failed, my response was basically leave and go somewhere else.

I can't say it was one thing that has sense changed my opinion.
I was married when I started and now I'm married with children on a single income because my spouse can no longer work at this time.
I've had the opportunity to take some classes and talk to officers from other departments from other states and officers from other departments in the metro area.

I enjoy my take-home and feel bad for those that still don't have one. Because there's no reason Cobb County can't continue to honor the take-home car program.
I have an above average education, so I appreciate the Education Incentive and I appreciate the Shift Diff.
When I started I wasn't worried about my retirement and figured it's Cobb County, so it's going to be good. How wrong I was, 30 years for 30%, and o/t doesn't count?
And I value what officers with more time are saying. I now see the ignorance from a two to three year officer to a six to seven year officer.
Since off FTO, those officers with more time than me had my back and been a great source of information when I wasn't sure how to do something. So in hind-sight why wouldn't I value they're opinion on they're logical opinion on the future of Cobb County and my future with Cobb County?
Most of them have walked where I'm walking both with family and professionally.
The longer you're on, you find out that the positive things I would respond with are standard benefits only at departments that are worth working for.
I never thought of going to the Fed's, started looking, but want to stay in Georgia.
Doing my homework now and if it continues to look like every department has some kind of 401 retirement I will apply with GSP. Hopefully in the next three to six months Cobb County can give us a definite answer on what they're going to do.
And if not, by then we'll know if GSP got they're additional 20% raise. If so, for six months I'll take the pay cut, make $55,000.00 after finishing the academy and almost make more than I make with part-times.
If I can't get a GSP Post closest to the house, that's okay with me, like the second February 23rd post said, there's like 11 GSP Posts in the metro area plus I can go 10-8 and 10-35 from my driveway.

I'm not mad at Cobb County. I'm disappointed, because we know and they've proved it in the past, they've got the money now. All Cobb County needs to do is put their money where their mouth is and make Public Safety a Priority.
My decision is nothing personal, I've just got to do what's right for my family, will allow me more time with my family, and work for a department that values me professionally.
And for those that don't have a family or still ignorant, $74,000.00 a year for a police officer doesn't make you "rich". And we don't live outside of our means. More of the opposite.
I want to work to live, Not live to work.
To those in the process with other agencies and those I've talked to about moving on, I get it now.
To those that still think like I used to, I sincerely hope Cobb County makes good on they're word this time, but I'm going off of recent history and I'm not waiting for "It's going to take time" any longer.
-Be Safe

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” - George Santayana (1905)

So based on how the FOP meeting went with Mr. Boyce, Mr. Hagler, and Mr. Ott, I suspect we'll loose another 200 police officers between 2017 through 2020 considering this time it's happening in a healthy economy (i.e. more jobs) and amount of openings GSP has to fill.
But now this time we've got the Atlanta Braves in Cobb County.

#NoBallsAndAllStrikes

On 03/22/17 Georgia law makers approved the $49 Billion Dollar upcoming budget starting 07/01/17.
The plan also continues previously announced 20 percent raises for state law enforcement, including those with the Georgia State Patrol and Bureau of Investigation.
Just thought everybody should know. Congrats GSP.
See link below.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/wsbtv.r...ises/504976691

I also wonder if anyone else will check out this link like I did?
http://dps.georgia.gov/job-vacancy-a...trooper-school

So based on the link, currently the Annual Salary Minimums are:
$36,110 (while in Trooper School)
$46,422 (upon TrooperSchool Graduation)
$51,552-Trooper First Class 1
$56,707-Trooper First Class 2
$61,825-Trooper First Class 3

And come 07/01/17 GSP/GBI gets an additional 20%?
So by my math, that's now:
$43,000 in the academy
$55,000 after graduating the academy
$62,000 for Trooper 1st Class
$67,000 for Trooper 2nd Class and about
$74,000 for Trooper 3rd Class.
Even if my numbers are off a grand, that's still great money. I wonder how many others will look at the same link?