City of Beaumont signs new, 'more competitive' police contract

Meagan Ellsworth; Beaumont Enterprise

The city of Beaumont announced it  signed a new labor agreement with the Beaumont Police Officers Association on Monday, October 31, 2022.  Photo courtesy of the city of Beaumont

The City of Beaumont has signed a new police contract that aims to be more competitive.

The four-year contract was executed between the city and the Beaumont Police Officers Association on Monday.

City officials said the new labor agreement is “specifically designed to be more competitive in recruiting and retaining officers.”“We want police officers to come to Beaumont knowing we appreciate and take care of our own and recognize the important role first-responders play in our community,” City Manager Kenneth Williams said in Tuesday news release from the city. “We are pleased to be able to offer better benefits, pay, equipment, and training as our officers nurture positive relations with the citizens of Beaumont.”

City officials provided some of the main highlights of the new contract:

• A compressed pay scale which reduced the 20-year requirement to earn top officer pay down to 10 years.
• Lateral entry hiring, a new program designed to transfer years of service credit from other departments to ensure new officers are properly compensated when bringing on-the-job experience from other cities.
• Additional incentives such as an increased stipend for body armor, two additional holidays, and a $2,000 per year bonus for already certified officers up to five years.

The Beaumont Police Department is the largest department in the city.