Attending One Chapter Meeting Spurs Lasting Change

Jan 7, 2026

By Elizabeth Wooten

NCPBA State LEO Chapter Secretary 

On December 10th, 2022, NC State Park Rangers Douglas Austin and Jeb Rector attended their first North Carolina State LEO chapter meeting. Their goal was to bring awareness to the issues facing officers working for NC State Parks related to pay, lack of training, and subpar equipment. At the time, the PBA was unaware of the scale of issues facing Park LEOs due to a lack of involvement in the chapter from PBA members employed by State Parks. Douglas and Jeb attending one meeting quickly changed that and brought issues facing State Park Rangers to the forefront of chapter activities. 

The most critical issue facing park LEOs was their pay. At the time they had the lowest average salary among all state LEOs by over $10,000. They were also dealing with an agency culture that was not seeking to provide any significant improvements in pay. In 2022 a study was conducted on behalf of the State to reevaluate pay scales for all employees. Under the new pay scales created from the study, 33% of all park LEOs, and 45% of all non-administrative officers (Park Ranger I and II's), were listed as being in the 0th quartile for pay. This meant they were being paid below the mandated minimum. Eventually, small adjustments from the NC Division of Parks and Recreation pulled officers to the minimum salary for their pay band, but it was still not enough to bring them on par with other state law enforcement officers. This is where the advocacy of the State LEO Board, NCPBA Division Board, and PBA staff came into play.

Through trips to the General Assembly, in-person meetings with legislators, phone calls, letters, and emails, the PBA and State LEO Chapter board (with Douglas now serving as its President and Jeb as its Senior Vice President) were able to bring the salary issues facing State Park’s law enforcement officers to the attention of legislators. 

This led to a provision in the 2023-2025 State Budget that included $5.7 million in raises for the ‘23-’24 Fiscal Year and $5.9 million for the ‘24-’25 Fiscal Year. Once implemented, this led to raises for over 200 officers across North Carolina and helped fill over 30 vacancies and counting. The average salary increased from $51,373 to $66,662. In addition to this, the 2025-2027 proposed state budget has a provision for Park LEOs to receive another raise that must average to 6% across the agency. And the effects of the raises go beyond the numbers. Many officers who were living paycheck to paycheck are now able to purchase homes, pay off student loans, set money aside for retirement and more, thanks to greater financial security. None of this would have occurred if Douglas and Jeb had not taken the initiative to attend a chapter meeting and get their agency’s issues in front of the board as well as PBA staff.

With the transition of the NC License and Theft Bureau to the NC State Highway Patrol the State LEO chapter board is now only represented by NC State Parks and NC State Bureau of Investigation. This board hopes to change that by recruiting representatives from all 18 agencies covered by this chapter. Having representatives from all agencies served by this chapter is crucial to being able to understand the needs of its members. 

The chapter represents a diverse array of agencies that, while unified by their roles as law enforcement officers, serve our state in many different ways. From conservation officers with State Parks, Wildlife, Marine Fisheries, and the State Forest Service to specialized investigators with the Department of Revenue, Department of Insurance, Secretary of State and SBI to the State Capital Police, NC General Assembly Police and NC Ports Police, who protect some of our states most critical sites, these officers and their agencies have unique needs. The best way to understand and address these needs is to have representatives from member agencies involved with the State LEO Chapter. Without involvement from member agencies the PBA may never know the scope of the issues their officers are facing. With greater representation we can gain a better understanding of the issues facing our members and organize the power and resources of the SSPBA to address them. As Douglas and Jeb learned, attending just one meeting can be the catalyst for significant change in your agency. 

Above: NC State LEO Chapter Board (L-R): Immediate Past President: Sgt. Douglas Austin (Albemarle Police Department), President: Ranger Jeb Rector (NC State Parks), Secretary: Ranger Elizabeth Wooten (NC State Parks), Not Pictured- Senior Vice President: Agent John Taylor (NC SBI)

Above: PBA Staff and State LEO Board Members at the General Assembly lobbying for the NC PBA to receive a permanent seat on the NC Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission.

Above: Jeb, Elizabeth and Douglas at work at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area.