Chief Financial Officer Mike Bernsen tells the Commercial Dispatch that the new officers will fill vacancies on the police force.
Bernsen says the starting salary for an entry level officer is about $30,000 annually.
McQueen has said the police department is understaffed at about 70 officers.
The council also approved McQueen's new organizational chart for the police department.
The new chart will allow McQueen to restructure his department by changing the chain-of-command and creating a position for a second assistant chief and commander of criminal investigation.





