SAN ANTONIO — The Bexar County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved a pay raise for county deputies . Additionally, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) will be implementing a "Straight to the Streets" program.
The resolution's passage is yet another effort to recruit and retain personnel for the agency.
Under the raise – which will be implemented via an amendment to the current collective bargaining agreement amendment – Deputy Sheriff's Association of Bexar County (DSABC) members will be placed on the Step Up Plan. Their pay increase will depend on their rank, and how long they've held that rank.
Beginning in late August, BCSO personnel working for law enforcement and detention can expect their pay to increase by an average of 9%. The raise is a result of a recent pay analysis for all Bexar County employees.
Because deputies are covered by the collective bargaining agreement, Bexar County commissioners had to formally approve the amendment. Sheriff Javier Salazar said the vote is "historic."
"This certainly does give us a lot less to worry about at the sheriff’s office," Salazar said.
Salazar said he will not be receiving a pay raise as a result of the agreement, which will cost taxpayers an additional $9.6 million annually.
The current minimum salary for law enforcement officers is $58,704, but will increase to $61,500. For cadets working at the county jail, their starting salary will jump to $45,000, up from $41,964.
“This assures that we are not just competitive with agencies our size, but it more importantly puts us competitive to agencies in this area, in this county," Salazar said.
DSABC members ratified the contract amendment prior to Tuesday's meeting. In a secret vote conducted in late July, 95% of ballots cast by deputies were in favor of the amendment.
Additionally, to reach the agreement, DSABC deputies will go without a 2.5% pay increase in the third and fourth years of their current contract, which ends on Sept. 30, 2025.
"The workforce has changed. It’s changed tremendously," said Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert. "They want flexibility. They want options. They want good pay."
Leapfrogging probationary periods
Bexar County commissioners also approved a "Straight to the Streets" program, which will allow deputies to test directly into patrolling the streets so long as they complete a 34-week patrol academy.
There are some exceptions. Salazar said recruits who join BCSO at 18 will not be able to test into patrolling, and instead will have to wait until they are at least 20 and a half years old to test.
“It incentivizes time spent in the jail," he said. "So if you do spend two, three, four years in the jail working before you cross over to the law enforcement side, that’s fine because you’re also accruing seniority points that are going to help you out when it comes time to take that test."
When asked how the "Straight to the Streets" program will address the lack of staffing currently at the detention center, Salazar said not everyone who joins the agency wants to patrol. He also said officers can now test out immediately if they choose to do so.
There are currently 250 vacancies at the jail, and 30 in law enforcement.
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