Dunwoody Police Department officials want to add four public safety ambassadors to its force, but the city council has questioned the pay structure for the proposed positions.
At an April 29 city council meeting, Dunwoody Police Chief Mike Carlson presented a request for $353,000 to equip and hire four PSAs, non-sworn employees who would direct traffic, work private property crashes, issue parking citations, and take police reports when no enforcement is needed.
“As the city continues to grow, our call volume has increased tremendously,” Carlson said, noting that the opening of the mixed-use High Street and Campus 244 developments will also increase the need for police support
However, when discussing the pay scale for the new positions, several council members questioned whether these employees should be paid more per year than other positions that may require a higher level of education and experience.
When presented with the pay range for these officers, from $51,000 in the low range, $61,000 in the mid-range, and $81,000 at the top of the range, Council Members Tom Lambert, Stacey Harris and John Heneghan questioned the fact that other positions within the department, like the fleet maintenance coordinator, have a lower pay range.
Carlson replied that the PSAs have a “greater level of exposure” because they will be interacting with the public. He also said the department wants to make this primarily an entry-level position for those who are interested in becoming full-fledged officers.
“It just seems high to me, but that may need to be an internal discussion,”
Mayor Lynn Deutsch said. “We have to be careful because, as a council, it’s not our job to be running the city.”
Carlson mentioned that several surrounding communities have public safety ambassadors, including Marietta and Milton.
According to the Milton Police website, PSAs “are an unsworn additional resource … to augment protection services by increasing visibility, observation and reporting (eyes and ears).”
A job post on the Milton Police website lists the PSA position as part-time, with pay starting at about $35,000.
The Dunwoody City Council took no action as the agenda item was for discussion only. It will be voted upon in a future meeting.