- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Early Police Department to Sponsor First Police Academy Cadet
City council approves plan to pay cadet's salary while attending 6-month training program
Published on Feb. 25, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
For the first time, the Early Police Department in Texas will sponsor a cadet through the Central Texas College Police Academy. The cadet will be an Early employee while attending the 6-month program, with the city paying a $42,000 annual salary. In return, the newly certified officer will be required to work for the Early Police Department for at least two years.
Why it matters
The Early Police Department has struggled to attract certified officers, with higher salaries at the Brownwood Police Department and Brown County Sheriff's Office making it difficult to fill open positions. Sponsoring a cadet through the police academy is seen as a way to build the department's ranks and address staffing challenges.
The details
Police Chief David Mercer proposed the plan to the city council, noting that the department has had no applicants for a current opening. The cadet's tuition of $275 for the academy will also be covered by the police department. If the new officer defaults on the two-year commitment, they will be required to reimburse the city for the expenses.
- The Central Texas College Police Academy is about six months long, with classes four days a week, 10 hours per day.
- The city council approved Mercer's request on February 24, 2026.
The players
David Mercer
Police Chief of the Early Police Department.
Early Police Department
A local police department in Texas that is sponsoring a cadet through the police academy for the first time.
Brownwood Police Department
A neighboring police department that has been sponsoring cadets through the police academy, offering higher salaries than Early PD.
Brown County Sheriff's Office
A local law enforcement agency that has also been sponsoring cadets through the police academy, with higher pay than Early PD.
What they’re saying
“We did have an officer leave. 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.”
— David Mercer, Police Chief (BrownwoodNews.com)
“I'm wanting to propose that we start something new. 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.”
— David Mercer, Police Chief (BrownwoodNews.com)
What’s next
The first cadet sponsored by the Early Police Department will begin the 6-month Central Texas College Police Academy program in the coming months.
The takeaway
By sponsoring a cadet through the police academy, the Early Police Department is taking a proactive approach to address staffing challenges and build its ranks of certified officers, a strategy that is becoming more common among smaller law enforcement agencies struggling to compete with higher salaries at larger departments.
