Texarkana police double lateral pay credit as Arkansas agencies compete for certified officers

TEXARKANA, Ark. — The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department will now credit incoming officers for up to 10 years of prior law enforcement experience, doubling its previous five-year lateral cap in a bid to pull certified officers from other agencies.

The change, announced Thursday, puts top lateral starting pay at $72,248 for an officer with 10 years of experience. Entry-level pay starts at $61,402. Officers with three, five and seven years fall at $63,580, $66,682 and $70,554 respectively. All figures include holiday pay, which is paid whether or not the officer works the holiday.

The department said the expansion is aimed at staying competitive “in an increasingly challenging recruiting environment,” a pressure felt by agencies across Arkansas as departments large and small bid against each other for a limited pool of certified officers.

For a certified officer with a decade of experience, the old cap meant starting at the five-year rate. The new scale recognizes the full 10 years.

TAPD is also leaning on schedule and benefits in its pitch. Officers work 11-hour shifts with two weekends off each month and four to five consecutive days off, get take-home patrol vehicles on workdays, and have access to medical, dental, vision and life insurance plus overtime.

Retirement runs through LOPFI with a 24 percent city contribution and a 3 percent compounded cost-of-living adjustment each year after retirement. Beards and tattoos are allowed with restrictions.

The department also set its next Civil Service Entrance Examination for 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at the TAPD Union Training Center, 1701 Line Ferry Road in Texarkana. The exam is the first step for applicants without prior certification. Applicants must be at least 21, be U.S. citizens, hold a valid driver’s license and a high school diploma or GED, have no felony convictions or domestic violence misdemeanors, have no visible tattoos on the head, neck, face, scalp or hands except a single wedding band tattoo, and have not used illicit drugs in the past two years.

Information on the exam and hiring process is available from Cpl. Claudia Phelps at 903-798-3125 or at TAPDCOP.ORG.