As Police Shortage Looms, Waterville Officers Get Pay Raise

It's no surprise that departments around the country are struggling to recruit new officers. The events of the last 18 months and the conversations around policing and defunding have caused many officers to leave the force and people who may have been considering policing to choose a different career path.

In addition to the aforementioned reasons, the Kennebec Journal says that inadequate wages around the country and younger people not being as interested as they once were also contribute to the recruiting struggles of many departments.

In an attempt to retain the officers they have and hopefully attract new ones, the Waterville Police Department has announced a pay increase for its officers. On Tuesday, the Waterville City Council ratified an existing collective bargaining agreement with the Maine State Fraternal Order of Police.

This ratification will allow for a pay increase for patrol officers, provides a retirement play and will include cost-of-living increases. The new changes will begin in July and the new starting pay based on the new contract will take new officers from $19.96 and hour to $24 an hour. The top-out pay will also change for patrol officers and will now peak after 6 years at about $60,000 annually.

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This home built in 1893 has the potential to be your new dream home with restoration and updates!

Look Inside The Most Inexpensive House For Sale In Maine

The least expensive house for sale in Maine, as of this writing, is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1,052 square foot mobile home with an addition on it at 48 Beech Lane in Whitefield. It's listed for sale by Coldwell Banker Rizzo Mattson on Zillow for $19,900.

Let's take a peek inside and around the property.

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