Big Salary Bump For DNR Officers

A well-deserved pay increase is headed for state law enforcement officers in Georgia, including officers with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Law Enforcement Division. 

Gov. Nathan Deal recently announced a proposal for the increase, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2017 and will go to all state law enforcement officers, including Georgia State Patrol.

“While the responsibility to provide for the public’s safety has not changed over the course of time, the demands of fulfilling this fundamental obligation have changed and grown…They deserve our unwavering commitment and support,” Gov. Deal said.

DNR’s Law Enforcement Division will be receiving a 20 percent increase in salaries at the beginning of the year in January, 2017.

“Front line full-time law enforcement will all be getting it,” said Wes Robinson, Director of Public and Government Affairs for DNR, when asked who would be receiving an increase in their salary.

Currently, the sum of salaries for around 182 rangers across seven DNR Law  Enforcement regions is roughly 12.7 million dollars, Robinson said. This sum of salaries includes all ranks of rangers. Different grades of pay are based on rank and experience. The sum of salaries will increase on Jan. 1, as an effect of the Governor’s initiative.

The state budget for the fiscal year 2017 has been amended to accommodate this 20 percent increase.

“It is coming from increased revenue. No cuts anywhere,” stated Jen Ryan, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications for the Governor’s Office, when asked where the money was coming from to fund the increase in salaries.

The 20 percent increase in overall salary for officers will impact the DNR Law Enforcement Division in ways that someone may not think.

“It will do a lot for our recruitment and our retention. It will help us provide the best possible service that we can,” explained Robinson. “If you want to hire the best and brightest, you got to have competitive salaries.”

Robinson did add that there has been no discussion of additional job duties that would be placed on the rangers due to the bump in pay.

When the 20 percent increase in salaries goes into effect for the DNR Law Enforcement Division, it will be ranked 24th nationally for entry-level salaries, according to Robinson.

“We are so appreciative of the support that the Governor and the General Assembly has not only shown our agency but law enforcement across the state,” stated Robinson regarding the pay raise.

This 20 percent increase in salaries is on top of a 6 percent increase that DNR Law Enforcement received earlier this year.