LCPD Increases Pay for Cadets, Officer-Trainees

The Las Cruces Police Department is still accepting applications for its training academy and, effective Jan. 1, 2025, cadets and officer-trainees will receive a higher salary.

Beginning Jan. 1, cadets will be paid $24 per hour or $49,920 annually while in the academy and new graduates, known as officer-trainees, will earn $26 per hour or $54,000 annually. Officer trainees who complete their first year earn $28.84 per hour plus overtime.

Applications for Police Cadet must be submitted no later than Dec. 2, 2024. The academy is tentatively set to begin in March 2025.

LCPD offers generous hiring incentives for cadets with a three-year commitment. The incentives are non-stackable:

• $11,000 for each cadet.
• $15,000 for an associate degree.
• $20,000 for bachelor’s degree or four years of honorable military service or retirement from military.
• $25,000 for bachelor’s degree in sociology, psychology, criminal justice or criminology.
• $30,000 for master’s degree in sociology, psychology, criminal justice or criminology.

Some recruits who live outside of Las Cruces may be eligible for up to $5,000 in relocation assistance.

Applicants are required to be U.S. citizens, at least 19 years old when application is submitted, have at least a high school diploma and no felony convictions.

For more information and to apply for a position, visit Las Cruces Police online.

The Las Cruces Police Department is allocated 220 commissioned officers. The department currently employs 183 officers.