Benefits

The benefits of becoming one of Albuquerque’s finest speak for themselves.

APD’s Benefits Include:

 

Retirement

All City of Albuquerque police officer employees, with the exception of Rehires,  participate in the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA).  Retire after 25 years of service with 70% of your top pay or say 30 years to retire with 90% of your top pay.

The standard state contribution is 17.80% of your salary, however the City pays 12.23% of the standard contribution meaning retirement only costs you 5.57% but you still receive the full benefit! 

Take Home Car Program

All police officers that successfully complete one year probation, will be issued a patrol vehicle for their use during working hours.

You may also use your police vehicle outside of regular working hours with some restrictions.

College Incentive

Police officers who have degrees, will receive the following additional pay incentive. There are two pay periods per month. Officers will be paid for only one degree at the highest academic level obtained.

  • Bachelor’s degree $62.31 biweekly ($1620.06 annually)
  • Master’s degree $73.85 biweekly ($1920.10 annually)
  • PHD $85.38 biweekly ($2,219.88 annually)

Shift Differential

Police officers who work the following shifts will receive shift differential pay. There are two pay periods per month.

  • Swing Shift $11.54 biweekly ($300 annually)
  • Graveyard $23.08 biweekly ($600 annually)

Bilingual Pay

An officer shall qualify for bilingual pay upon demonstrating an acceptable level of reading, writing and conversational proficiency. Job-related material will be used in determining the reading, writing and conversational proficiency. The certification of proficiency will be established by an expert selected by the H.R.P. Committee. Officers who are certified in all three proficiency areas shall be paid $23.08 per pay period. Should an officer only pass the conversational portion of the test, that officer shall be paid $9.23 per pay period.

Specialty Pay

Police officers who are assigned to these Units will receive the following additional pay incentive.

  • Pilots $23.08 biweekly
  • Bomb Squad $115.38 biweekly
  • Aerial Observer $23.08 biweekly
  • Motorcycle Officers $23.08 biweekly
  • S.W.A.T $115.38 biweekly
  • K-9 $115.38 biweekly
  • Crisis Negotiation Team officers $23.08 biweekly
  • Crisis Intervention Team officers $23.08 biweekly
  • Child Abuse Response Evaluators (C.A.R.E) $50.00 biweekly
  • APD Ambassadors $50.00 biweekly
  • Horse Mounted Unit $23.08 biweekly
  • Field Training Officers $350.00 biweekly

Holiday Pay

Legal holidays for police officers shall be as follows:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King’s Birthday
  • President’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Indigenous People’s Day
  • Veteran’s Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Day After Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day

Police officers shall receive holiday pay at straight time at their hourly rate for either 8 or 10 hours based on their normal work shift for all holidays not worked. In the event a police officers is required to work on a holiday, and does not exercise an option to take a floating holiday, he/she shall be paid holiday pay as mentioned above, plus time-and-one-half (1 and ½) for the first 8 hours if on a normal work shift of 10 hours, plus 2 hours straight compensatory time.
A police officer may float any or all of the holidays mentioned in the above listed paragraph. A floating holiday is one that the employee may convert to vacation either eight (8) or ten (10) hours per holiday depending on their normal workday anytime after the actual holiday has occurred. A floating holiday can also be used as an additional vacation day if used within the same pay period of the holiday.

Compensatory Time

Police officers will be entitled to be compensated at 1 and ½ times the officer’s rate of pay or in the form of compensatory time. Compensatory time will be computed at the rate of 1 and ½ times the hours actually worked.You have the opportunity to earn 150 hours of compensation

Medical, Hospitalization and Dental Insurance

The City of Albuquerque provides affordable medical, hospitalization and dental plans.  You will choose your plans during new employee orientation.

Vacation Leave Accrual

​Vacation leave will accrue for police officers as follows:

  • 1 Month to 5 Years 8 hours/month or 12.5 days/year
  • 5 Years, 1 Month to 10 Years 10 hours/month or 15 days/year
  • 10 Years, 1 Month to 15 Years 12 hours/month or 18 days/year
  • 15 Years, 1 Month and over 13 hours/month or 20 days/year

Police Officer Laterals have an added incentive!

Upon completion of the officer’s academy training, and for each year of prior service recognized by the Albuquerque Police Department for purposes of lateral credit, each lateral hire shall be credited with vacation leave as follows:

  •     40 hours for 2-4 years
  •     70 hours for 5-14 years
  •     100 hours for 15 or more years 

Sick Leave Accrual

Sick leave will accrue for police officers as follows:

  • 3.70 hours biweekly
  • 2000 hours maximum accrual for police officers (can be used for early retirement)

Police Officer Laterals have an added incentive!

Each lateral hire, upon completion of the officer’s academy training, shall be credited with 40 hours of sick leave.

Unions and Organizations

Albuquerque Police Officer Association, (APOA)

Associations

  • Latino Police Officers Association, (LPOA)
  • Chicano Police Officers Association, (CPOA)
  • Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)

Tuition Assistance and Educational Leave

Tuition Reimbursement and Educational Leave available

The City of Albuquerque is a proponent of higher education and encourages and supports employees in reaching their educational goals through the Tuition Assistance and Educational Leave Programs.

Tuition Assistance is awarded as a reimbursement based on successful completion of up to 9 credit hours per Fall and Spring terms from a regionally accredited college or university at the rate of up to $265 per credit hour not to exceed $2385 per term for Associate and Bachelor Degrees.

Reimbursement for Graduate Degrees is up to 6 credit hours per Fall and Spring terms from a regionally accredited college or university at the rate of up to $265 per credit hour not to exceed $1590 per term.

Employees must be classified or unclassified regular part-time or full-time employees of the City of Albuquerque who have completed their probationary period.

Please note:  Reimbursement rates may be less due to the number of applicants in a semester or available funding in our budget.