La Crosse police dept. pay scale could be in flux at highest ranks

Captains making $98,000, while lieutenants at $80,000

An upward pressure on wages could cause a shift in compensation levels at the highest ranks in the La Crosse Police Dept.

Because of recently negotiated contracts with the union that represents lieutenants, some of them are taking home more than the captains above them.

The average annual salary for the city’s four police captains will be $98,000 next year. The city’s five police lieutenants’ average annual base salary alone will be close to $80,000. Overtime wages can push that much higher.   

“If we do not deal with this there is really very little incentive, in the case of the police department, for a lieutenant, to apply for a promotion to be a captain,” city council member Doug Happel, who is on the police and fire commission, said.

A proposal getting a vote next month by the city council seeks to solve that so called wage compression. But, could that also put pressure on the wages of chief and assistant chief?

“At this stage it doesn’t,” Happel said. “It could. But we did look at that. Could it become and issue in the future? It could.”

Happel admits the extra pay for captains may eventually lead to having to pay more to the department’s chief and assistant chief, as well.  

“I don’t mind saying leadership is important,” Happel added. “We have good leadership and we need to keep good leadership. To some extent, you get what you pay for.”