This is how much the San Angelo police really earn

In San Angelo, we elect our police chief. Thomason, who was making an annual salary of $141,000 before his promotion from lieutenant to deputy chief last month, increased his salary by about $30,000 annually to around $173,000 after his promotion. Before Griffith promoted Thomason to deputy chief, he and his wife donated $2,489.82 directly to Griffith’s campaign. While that’s not illegal, the optics are questionable. This was a significant return on investment and earned a $30,000 annual raise. Lt. Chris Cimino, who ran against Griffith for police chief, donated a measly $20 to Griffith’s campaign during the runoff after Cimino endorsed Griffith. That apparently wasn’t enough for a promotion. Deputy Chief Adam Scott received a similar raise, but we couldn’t find any matching campaign contributions from him.

Griffith received the largest raise. Before being elected police chief, he was a trained sergeant with a pay package of $122,000. He now makes $202,000 and earned an $80,000 raise with his election.

With higher pay comes responsibility. The controversy over police pay in San Angelo is the first challenge facing the Griffith administration. So far, Griffith has miscalculated by trying to gain public support for his raise without first consulting the city leaders on the top floor of City Hall who write the paychecks.

San Angelo’s wage crisis reflects a nationwide challenge. A cursory glance at Indeed, a recruiting website and mobile app, shows that signing bonuses and annual salaries are higher than in San Angelo. Jobs with government agencies, if you qualify, offer six-figure salaries within two years, according to recent hires. On Instagram, the College Station Police Department touts a $10,000 signing bonus for new recruits with a starting salary of $65,374. San Angelo offers only a $7,500 bonus for transfers. The starting salary for new recruits at the San Angelo Police Department is $54,399.