PORTERDALE, Ga. - As the July 1 Porterdale council meeting came to an end, Chief Jason Cripps took a moment to express his gratitude to the council members for the increase in pay for police officers, which took effect this month. 

“I just want to thank you for the increase in salary for the officers,” Cripps said. “Thank you very much. It means a lot.”

Cripps’s statement earned a comment from Mayor Arline Chapman, who stated the pay raise was “well deserved.”

The council members voted to increase the starting pay for police officers by $1 an hour on Monday, Feb. 4. The raise increased the starting pay for uncertified trainees to $16.56 an hour, and for certified rookies with no experience, the starting pay was raised to $17.56 an hour.

Everyone within the Porterdale Police Department, except for the chief of police, received a $1, including sergeants and captains. Cripps wanted to make sure the men and women, who are on the front lines of the action, were taken care of.

“They are the ones that have young babies,” Cripps said. “They are the ones starting their lives.”