Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: Addition of Police Trainee Job Classification and Related Compensation Date: May 09, 2023
Written by: Damien O'Bid, City Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to implement a revised salary schedule and revisions to the Non-Represented Compensation Plan to incorporate the Police Officer Trainee position.
Background
In the current job market and social climate, it has become very difficult to recruit police officers and fill vacant positions. Therefore, the City continues to explore new ways to recruit new officers, including the proposed Police Officer Trainee.
Analysis/Discussion
The Santa Rosa Junior College operates the police academy that serves much of the Northbay area. Currently, most academy attendees are “sponsored” by police agencies, with very few uncommitted independents. Sponsored typically means that an agency will hire an individual, pay for their time to attend the academy, as well as tuition and required equipment. Once the sponsored candidate successfully completes the POST Basic Intensive Academy, they can be sworn in and begin field training as a Police Officer.
To broaden the pool of potential candidates, staff believe that sponsoring candidates will be another option to keep the department staffed in the current environment. The proposed Police Officer Trainee will be up to a 1-year appointment (typically around 6 months) with the primary purpose of sponsoring a candidate through the Basic Intensive Police Academy. If the candidate is successful in graduating from the academy, the City would generally hire the candidate as a police officer.
To be sponsored, the candidate will first go through the normal pre-hiring interview and full public safety background process to ensure that there is nothing that will disqualify them. If the candidate successfully passes these steps, they will be a City employee paid to attend the academy, as well as tuition, academy uniform and required equipment and supplies.
Financial Considerations
There are no budgetary adjustments required at this time due to conservative budgeting and staffing vacancies in the current fiscal year. In FY 23-24, this position would be available only when there is a vacant Police Officer position. The proposed salary is 20% below the regular starting police officer pay rate. This is in line with other agencies in Sonoma County that sponsor trainees. Accounting for the tuition and other expenses, estimated at approximately $6,500 currently, it is expected that the cost will be roughly equivalent to the pay of a starting full-time police officer. Therefore, there is not expected to be any significant financial impact.
Environmental Issues
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.