Feds: Mississippi City Owes $850K in Police Officer Back Pay
A Mississippi city will pay more than $850,000 in back wages to more than 100 police officers following a federal investigation of payment practices.
Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton’s administration released a statement to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal on Wednesday saying an agreement reached with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division will result in a settlement of $857,000 for violating labor laws between August 2015 and December 2016.
City communications director Leesha Faulkner says around 119 officers are affected.
Tupelo police implemented standards-aligned timekeeping practices in December 2016 after it was revealed the department had failed to adequately record hours for at least two decades. The Wage and Hour Division began its investigation into the past deficiencies in August 2017, but was limited in scope in terms of time period.