Will more money help the Durham Police Department put more cops on the street?
As Durham police wrestle with a wave of shootings and property crime, they’re hoping newly won raises will attract recruits to reduce the department’s 26% vacancy rate.
“Everybody has been losing officers over the last several years. We were no exception,” said officer Bret Taylor, who works in recruiting and background investigations.
Durham’s staffing levels held above 95% for a decade until 2020, when they began dwindling amid shifts in the economy and in American sentiments toward police.
The department is currently 74% staffed, with 395 of 534 sworn officer positions filled, including recruits in various phases of training.
“When you have fewer officers on the street, the availability to answer calls does become more difficult. You have to prioritize them,” Taylor said. “That’s something we’ve been battling.”
Understaffing has lengthened response times and affected morale, but Taylor said it can also create safety issues for officers.
“If my nearest backup is handling a call four miles away and I don’t have another officer available closer, that could create an issue for us,” he said.
Mayor Leonardo Williams, said he knows there are people in Durham who prefer having fewer officers on patrol.
“They’re not living in reality,” Williams said. “Until we get rid of poverty, until we get rid of rid of circumstances that cause people distress, we’re always going to have some type of criminal behavior, and those criminal behaviors require, sometimes, a police response.”
‘Astonishing’ gun violence
Last month, Police Chief Patrice Andrews said the city was seeing an “astonishing” wave of gun violence.
▪ The number of people shot is outpacing the past two years, with 119 people shot — 19 of them fatally — as of June 15, according to statistics provided by the Durham Police Department.
▪ Total shooting incidents, in which gunfire is reported regardless of any injuries, are trending down for the year, with 325 recorded as of June 15, the department reports.
But that’s at least partly due to the city ending its use of the ShotSpotter gunshot detection program. After it was installed in 2023, a quarter of the confirmed shootings it detected had no corresponding 911 calls, meaning those incidents may have otherwise gone unreported, according to a Duke University study. Most of those did not involve injuries.
The new pay
Taylor said other large metros in North Carolina, like Greensboro and Charlotte, compete for the same applicants Durham does. In the Triangle, the main competition comes from Cary, Raleigh and Wake Forest, he said.
Last week, the Durham City Council approved a budget that will substantially raise pay starting July 1.
▪ For recruits in Durham’s police academy, pay will jump 18% from $43,445 to to $51,370.
▪ When they graduate and become full-fledged officers, they’ll get $54,817 instead of $47,900, a 14% increase that puts the Durham Police Department on par with many competing cities.
▪ Ceilings for a Durham police officer will now exceed $89,000, eclipsing Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, the only cities in the state larger than Durham.
“What we’re expecting and hoping for is an influx of applications,” Taylor said.
Durham also offers a $10,000 hiring bonus and a $3,000 incentive to move inside the city limits, as well as up to $2,000 annual bonuses for Spanish-speakers. Hiring events are held at headquarters twice a month.
Taylor worked 14 years in patrol before transferring to recruiting. He decided to become a law enforcement officer after watching the 9/11 terrorist attacks unfold as a high school senior in Durham.
“This is a big family,” he said. “We take care of each other. We know it’s a busy city, so we have to watch each other’s backs out here, and I trust every man and woman here.”
NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com
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