Chattanooga Police officers will be earning more under a $1.4 million pay improvement plan announced Tuesday.
New officers would get increases in each of their first six years with the department, which has been dealing with a number of newly trained officers going to other cities.
City officers now make $35,913 upon joining the force. Under the plan, they will receive about $1,000 more in each of the first two years and $2,000 more in each of the next two years.
They would get $3,500 more in years five and six.
There would be a 3 percent across-the-board increase for all sworn officers.
There will be a larger pay difference between the salaries of sergeants, lieutenants and captains.
Officials of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers and the Fraternal Order of Police praised the plan that was announced by Mayor Andy Berke.
It must get approval by the City Council.
Also, the city police plan to spend $1.7 million in a strategy to deal with gun crimes.
There would be a five-person gun team that would respond to shots fired calls.
There would also be a nine-person rapid response team with three members in each sector of the city.