Police Association Says 18 Del Rio Officers Have Applications Out as Pay Talks Continue

DEL RIO, Texas — The Del Rio Police Association says the number of officers with applications out to other agencies has increased from about 12 to 18 as contract negotiations with the City of Del Rio continue.

The number was raised during the latest collective bargaining session as association representatives argued that compensation is becoming an officer-retention issue.

“I think last time we mentioned about 12 officers were already having applications out,” an association representative said during the meeting. “Since yesterday it went up to 18.”

The association did not say that all 18 officers have decided to leave the department. Rather, representatives said those officers currently have applications out, indicating they are exploring opportunities elsewhere.

Association representatives said one of their primary concerns is the potential loss of experienced officers.

During the discussion, the association pointed to officers with five, seven, eight and even 10 years of experience and questioned how the department could replace that level of experience in a short period of time if those officers leave.

The association warned that losing experienced personnel could leave the department increasingly dependent on probationary officers or officers with roughly a year or less of experience.

Representatives also said newer officers need experienced personnel around them for guidance and training.

During the bargaining session, the association said supervisors are already performing line-officer duties in addition to their supervisory responsibilities, which they argued can reduce the amount of guidance available to less-experienced officers.

The association has tied those retention concerns directly to its request for higher compensation.

The City has proposed a 2.5% increase to the police pay table, while the Police Association has countered by asking for at least a 10% increase.

The association has also argued that Del Rio police compensation is falling behind other local law-enforcement agencies.

According to figures presented by the association during negotiations, Del Rio Police Department starting pay is approximately 7% behind the school district police department and approximately 15% behind the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office.

Association representatives argued that if Del Rio continues providing increases in the 2.5% to 3% range while competing agencies also increase salaries, the department will remain behind rather than closing the pay gap.

The association has also discussed the possibility of a multi-year agreement that could spread future compensation increases over several years rather than requiring the City to make up the entire difference at once.

The Police Association says the issue is ultimately about keeping experienced officers in Del Rio.

The City and Police Association have not yet reached a final agreement on compensation.

DRNN will continue following the collective bargaining process, including officer pay, staffing and retention concerns as negotiations continue.