MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
Mayor Jim Strickland believes Memphis’ next top cop might deserve a higher paycheck.
A city spokesperson confirmed the mayor discussed the topic on a program Monday.
The mayor said he is seeing the market demand higher salaries and multi-year contracts.
He said the market rate is closer to $250,000 which is a far cry from the $150,000 Interim Police Director Michael Rallings currently earns and more than New York City’s top cop.
That salary is even more than Strickland makes.
It is a number some Memphians are not too sure about.
“That’s too much,” said Memphis resident Adeline Dennis.
“It shouldn’t be that high for Memphis,” said Memphis resident Andrea Smith.
A city spokesperson shared several city comparisons with WREG.
WREG focused on some cities that have populations within 50,000 of Memphis.
- Seattle’s chief makes about $250,000.
- Baltimore pays its commissioner about $212,000.
- Detroit pays its chief about $225,000.
Still, it is tough to compare how far these salaries would go in Memphis.
Tennessee does not have an income tax, and the cost of living in Memphis is on the lower side.
“We have some serious issues in this city, and I think the director of the second most violent city in the nation, probably with the problems that we have, the mass exodus of officers, trying to hold all of this together, they need to pay the director commensurate with other cities our size,” said Memphis Police Association President Mike Williams.
He wants to see pay increases trickle down to the officers on the streets.
City Council Member Janis Fullilove agrees that the number is a bit high and perhaps sends the wrong message.
“I think it’s really a slap in the face to the interim director that we have right now, even to the previous directors, because you’re sitting up saying that somebody on the outside is worth that amount of money while somebody here on the inside is not,” she said.
WREG asked both the mayor and his spokespeople to interview with us Wednesday regarding this matter.
The mayor was in Nashville, and the spokespeople said they were too busy.
