Montgomery and Faulkner agree to reduce officer tuition

In an ongoing effort to increase the number of police officers in the city, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed announced Wednesday a new partnership with Faulkner University that will allow police officers to receive a 60 percent tuition reduction at the university and allow them to designate two students . family members receive a 50 percent discount on tuition.

“We are excited and grateful to partner with Faulkner University to help our officers and their families realize their educational dreams,” Reed said in a statement. “This partnership demonstrates our commitment to investing in those who protect our community and making MPD a more attractive place to work and grow. This partnership illustrates how we can work together to support our officers and improve our city.”

All children of full-time MPD staff are also eligible for a 50 percent discount on adult bachelor’s degrees at the Montgomery campus. Additionally, staff, family members and children are all eligible for a 5 percent discount on tuition for the Executive JD program.

The discounts for students amount to a minimum of $10,000 per academic year.

Reed and city and MPD officials have tried in recent years to attract officers to MPD and slow the losses. Like many police departments across the country, MPD has lost a significant number of employees over the past decade

Pay increases and more attractive bonuses and benefits have done little to slow department attrition, and city leaders across the country have been looking for more creative ideas to retain officers and attract new recruits.