Former Atlanta police chief pushes hard for officers to transfer to Louisville

ATLANTA - The former Atlanta Police Department chief is pushing hard to attract transfers to her new city.

Erika Shields, who commands the Louisville Police Department, put up a giant billboard just a couple of blocks from her old desk inside the Atlanta police headquarters. 

"It seemed obvious that I would look to Atlanta to try to hire," Shields told FOX 5. "The city is diverse and the officers are well-trained." 

The message on the recruitment billboard is that lateral transfers existing officers are also welcome. 

So, how does Louisville stack up? On pay and perks very well.

The starting salary for a regular patrol officer in the city of Atlanta is $48,500. That similar qualified officer can earn $56,500 in the Kentucky city.

But that is only the start. The rate of pay after just one year jumps dramatically to $72,000.

Shields told FOX 5 all new hires can get a chunk of cash in a signing bonus of $8,000, a moving allowance and Louisville supplies take home cars.

To try and seal the deal, Shields will pay a visit to Atlanta with her recruitment team later this month to make the pitch.

As for the APD, the city said its recruitment efforts are humming along, with three recruitment classes underway shortly headed to a goal of hiring 250 additional officers in 2022.

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