Plano Police Department Hiring New Officers At Top Dollar
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COLLIN COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but Stephanie Benjamin moved from New York and gave up a television news career to become a Plano police officer.
"I was bored with some of the jobs I was getting," the 26-year-old explained.
With a starting salary of nearly $62,000, after police academy training, pay with the Plano Police Department can compete with executive level job offers for college graduates like Benjamin. "For somebody my age to make as much money as I do is a blessing," she said.
There are more blessings waiting now that CBS 11 News has learned the department is about to hire additional officers to watch over three new urban villages, all currently under construction.
The mixed-use developments will only add to the population boom in the area. "You're talking about a lot of residents in small areas," explained Plano police Officer David Tilley. "It's going to take a lot more, for lack of a better term, immediate response of somebody who is going to be actually assigned to those particular areas."
The challenging climate toward police in several cities and protests over the deaths of unarmed civilians hasn't seemed to discourage new officers.
"I love working here," Benjamin said.
The 26-year-old patrols Plano neighborhoods hoping to improve the image of law enforcement now that she's become part of it.
"It was a huge adjustment for me, but I like a challenge."
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