Horry County to raise police pay in effort to retain officers

CONWAY, SC (WPDE) — Horry County Council appears set to increase law enforcement officers’ pay once next year’s budget is passed.

Under a proposal introduced by chairman Mark Lazarus, law enforcement officers, including police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and detention center employees, will receive a $1 per hour pay raise.

That works out to between $2,000 to $3,500 per year for police officers, which the county is trying to retain after nearby Myrtle Beach raised its starting salary to $44,000 per year in January.

Lazarus said when benefits are accounted for, Horry County’s officers will make more than Myrtle Beach’s.

“When you add all that up, it gets us well over the $44,000 that the base pay for the City of Myrtle Beach is,” he explained. “So that’s kind of where it pans out.”

HCPD will not add any police positions next year, Lazarus said, because the focus needs to be on filling the vacancies it currently has.

He said once the department returns to full staffing, council would consider expanding the force.

He said it costs $1 million to add eight officers.