FLEOA presses OPM for equal 2027 pay raise for federal law enforcement

FLEOA is urging the Office of Personnel Management to apply the president’s proposed 3.8% 2027 pay increase evenly across federal law enforcement officers and agents, and to fix prior disparities from 2026. The group says equal treatment is critical to recruitment, retention and public safety across agencies.

Why it matters: - FLEOA says uneven pay treatment for federal law enforcement worsens staffing shortages, retention problems and pay compression across agencies. - The group argues that compensation gaps can push officers away from supervisory roles and make it harder to recruit and keep qualified personnel. - FLEOA says the issue affects public safety, national security and the operation of the federal government.

What happened: - FLEOA renewed its call for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to make the president’s proposed 3.8% pay increase for federal officers and agents apply equally to all eligible federal law enforcement personnel. - The organization also asked OPM to provide a retroactive pay increase to personnel excluded from the 2026 adjustment. - On Aug. 26, President Donald Trump issued an Alternative Pay Plan that would keep 2027 General Schedule base and locality rates at 2026 levels while directing OPM to use special salary rate authority for a 3.8% increase for law enforcement personnel. - OPM has not yet announced which agencies and occupational categories will qualify for the 2027 increase.

The details: - OPM said it intends to take a broader approach to federal law enforcement coverage in 2027 than it did under the special rates implemented this year. - This year’s determination process relied heavily on individual requests from federal agencies. - FLEOA sent OPM Director Scott Kupor a letter on Aug. 31 raising the issue of equal treatment for similarly situated federal law enforcement professionals. - FLEOA says all officers contribute to public safety, national security and the lawful operation of the federal government, regardless of agency. - FLEOA leadership also discussed pay and other Title 5 issues with Kupor during National Police Week in May. - The group says current pay rules no longer work, have created widespread pay compression and discourage movement into management or supervisory positions. - FLEOA warned that raising pay at some agencies while excluding others can deepen retention problems at the agencies left behind.

Between the lines: - The fight is not only about the size of the pay raise; it is about whether OPM applies the increase consistently across a workforce made up of many job titles and agencies. - FLEOA is trying to prevent a repeat of the pay disparities it says followed the 2026 increase. - President Trump’s order signals support for law enforcement, but the final impact will depend on how broadly OPM defines eligible personnel.

What’s next: - FLEOA said it will keep pressing OPM to avoid leaving any federal law enforcement officers or agents out of the 2027 increase. - OPM still needs to finalize the agencies and job categories that will receive the raise. - The outcome will determine whether the 3.8% increase reaches the full federal law enforcement community or only parts of it.

The bottom line: - FLEOA wants OPM to turn the proposed 2027 law enforcement raise into an across-the-board policy, not a patchwork benefit.