Early Police Department will sponsor cadet through police academy for first time

February 24, 2026 at 9:59 pm Derrick Stuckly

Local News

Early city council members approved Police Chief David Mercer’s request to pay a cadet an annual salary of $42,000 while attending the Central Texas College Police Academy in Killeen

Story, photo by Steve Nash / Special Contributor to BrownwoodNews.com

EARLY — For the first time, the Early Police Department will sponsor a cadet through a police academy — and in return, the newly certified officer will be obligated to work as an Early officer for at least two years.

City council members approved Police Chief David Mercer’s request to pay a cadet an annual salary of $42,000 while attending the Central Texas College Police Academy in Killeen. The cadet will be an Early employee while attending the academy, Mercer said.

He said the Early Police Department hasn’t received any applications for a current opening. The Brownwood Police Department and Brown County Sheriff’s Office have been sponsoring cadets in the police academy, Mercer told council members.

“We did have an officer leave,” Mercer said. “We’ve had posting for applications for the past two weeks now. And we haven’t received any applications. We usually advertise for certified officers. This time we put it for optional preferred certified officers. There’s none.”

Mercer said the Brownwood Police Department and sheriff’s office pay “considerable more” than the Early department. “I’m wanting to propose that we start something new,” he said. “We do have an interest from a couple that are not certified and are wanting to go to the academy..

“There are a lot of surrounding places that started doing this. Now I think it’s kind of the way of the future. But we send them to the academy.

The Central Texas College Police Academy is about six months long — four days a week, 10 hours a day with an occasional fifth day, Mercer said.

“So what I’m thinking, if we could just pay the salary and then any living expense would be paid (by the cadet),” Mercer said. Now, we’ve got one applicant that currently lives in Killeen. So that one’s got a house.

The officer who resigned was earning $54,300 a year, and beginning pay for an officer that’s certified but has no experience is $46,300, Mercer said.

“I’m proposing we go to a salary of $42,000 for the academy pay,” Mercer said. “And then, yes, we’re going to be down in position for six months.”

By sponsoring a cadet, the tuition for the police department will be $275, which the police department will pay, Mercer said.

If the new officer defaults on the two-year obligation to Early, the officer will be required to reimburse the city for expenses, Mercer said.