Incoming Lawrence Chief of Police Rich Lockhart will start his job with an annual salary of $156,035, expenses for moving, and a vacation perk on par with city staff employed 6-10 years.
Lockhart, announced in November as the sole finalist to lead the Lawrence Police Department after a nationwide search, is leaving his post as Warrensburg, Missouri police chief and will start his position in Lawrence on Jan. 16.
Lockhart’s starting salary is about $13,600 more than the final salary of Lawrence’s last permanent chief of police whose employment ended in May 2020, according to city documents.
Here are some more perks in the offer letter that Assistant City Manager Brandon McGuire sent to Lockhart, which he accepted and signed Friday, Dec. 3:
• Reimbursement of expenses for moving: Up to $15,000 to relocate within Lawrence city limits, and up to $10,000 if he relocates outside of the incorporated city limits. The reimbursement is subject to taxes.
• Vacation leave: 80 hours available upon arrival; vacation accrual of 128 hours per year upon hire, which is the accrual rate of city employees with 6-10 years of service, according to the letter.
• Sick leave: 40 hours available upon hire.
• Access to a take-home vehicle for work-related use, in accordance with city policies for on-call supervisory staff.
• A laptop or tablet computer and a mobile phone for work-related use.
The offer is contingent upon Lockhart’s successful completion of a physical, drug screen and psychological evaluation, the letter states. He will have performance reviews after three months, six months, and on the city’s annual appraisal schedule.
As a condition of employment, Lockhart — who prior to working at Warrensburg from 2016 to present spent 26 years with the Kansas City, Missouri police department — will need to complete reciprocity training from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (KS CPOST).
The offer letter is public information that the Times obtained through an open record request.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
More coverage:
Natasha Torkzaban/Lawrence Times
Andrea Albright / The Lawrence Times
August Rudisell/The Lawrence Times
August Rudisell/The Lawrence Times
