SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Former San Angelo Police Public Informations Officer, Tracy Piatt-Fox , has spoken out regarding a potential mass exodus of officers looking for better wages.
According to a recent Facebook post by Fox, many officers within SAPD have reached out to her extremely concerned about the public safety of the community and its residents with the possibility of a mass exodus of officers.
At the time of publication of her post, Fox claimed 21 officers were actively seeking employment elsewhere, which did not include the ’40 plus that can punch out and retire at any time’. She listed officers’ reasons for leaving as low pay and benefits and a lack of support from leadership.
Comparing Police Agency Pay Scales
| Police Agency | Cadet/Recruit Base Salary | 2 years service | 5 years service | 8 years service | LT2 |
| San Angelo Police Department | $48,149/year | $55,580/ year (2-4 years) | $57,872/year (5-7 years) | $60,164/ year (8-10 years) | $95,116/year |
| Abilene Police Department | $62,702/year | $73,267/year | $81,639 | $93,529/year | $127,130/year |
| Wichita Falls Police Department | $52,603 | $62,441 | $67,392 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Conroe Police Department | $54,846 | $68,007 | $78,179 | $89,874 | Not listed |
“Let that sink in,” said Fox. “What does that potentially look like for response times to your family’s emergency?”
Additionally, Fox said neighboring agencies are aware of the situation and are actively recruiting SAPD officers.
“I don’t want this city to go unprotected. I don’t want this city to go to a ‘everyone will be directed to make an online report unless it’s a violent crime’ model because there aren’t enough officers to respond to calls for service, ” said Fox, “Criminals will figure that out quickly and take advantage of it.”
Fox asked the community to reach out to city management to voice concerns.
“The city won’t listen to officers’ voices. Hopefully, they will listen to yours,” said Fox.
