Item
APPROVED BY
CITY MANAGER
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: OFFICE F THE CITY
Y. LESLIE R. MURRAY, CHIEF POLICE
DATE: AUGUST
, 2023
SUBJECT: POLICE DEPARTMENT HIRING INCENTIVES FOR L L POLICE
OFFICEREC IT T
EXECUTIVE Y
The City Council will consider approving a _ modification to the Downey Police Department's current monetary hiring incentive for the position of Lateral Police Officer from $3,000 to $25,000, maintaining the additional incentives currently in place. The approval of this modification will allow the Department to remain competitive with other law enforcement agencies in the region that are currently offering substantial recruitment incentives to attract lateral Police Officer applicants.
RECOMMENDATION
That the 'City Council:
Adopt Resolution No. 23-8188 a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Downey authorizing the Police Department to offer recruitment incentives aimed at attracting quality lateral Police Officers from other law enforcement agencies.
BACKGROUND
Law enforcement agencies across the region are experiencing unprecedented staffing vacancies as they experience difficulties recruiting and hiring qualified personnel to fill Police 'Officer positions. The Downey Police Department (Department)- and Human Resources Department typically process hundreds of applicants annually, ,but few applicants are successful due to the Department's stringent process and high standards.
Over the next 18 months, it is projected the Department may need to hire as many as 1 officers as a result of current vacancies and projected retirements. Additionally, over the next five years, the Department will have a substantial number of additional sworn employees eligible to retire.
In addition to increased recruitment efforts such as job fairs, as well as internet and social media campaigns, it is 'proposed the Department take a more aggressive approach to attract Lateral Police Officers to both maintain and expand its workforce. Lateral Police
POLICE DEPARTMENT HIRING INCENTIVES FOR LATERAL POLICE OFFICER AUGUST 8,_2023
PAGE 2
Officers offer the benefit of being academy trained, decreasing training time by at least six months, Additionally, the City does not incur the cost associated with the police academy, including six months of Police Officer Recruit salary.
On September 27, 2016, the City Council approved several incentives for Lateral Police Officer applicants including the following:
,00 "transfer incentive" for any Lateral Police Officer once they complete their 18-month probationary period with the Downey Police Department - Allow Lateral Police Officers to carry over accumulated sick leave from their former agency, up to 360 hours
Allow Lateral Police Officers to carry over accumulated vacation leave from their former agency, up to 80 ihours
Allow Lateral Police Officers vacation time accrual rate to be based on their total years of service as a sworn law enforcement officer
Credit existing Downey Police Employees with 40 hours of compensatory time off for recruiting a Lateral Officer who successfully completes their 18-month probationary period
ANALYSIS
An April 2023 survey of law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles and Grange Counties revealed that several agencies are currently offering substantial monetary compensation for Lateral Police Officer applicants ranging upward to as much as $40,000, In addition, one Los Angeles County agency is offering monetary and "other compensation" that can total as much as $70,000, See attachment "A"
Based on the survey results and the need to attract Lateral Police Officers in today's competitive job market, it is recommended that the City increase its recruitment incentive for Lateral Police Officers from $3,000 to $25,000. To be more competitively placed in the market. It is proposed the other incentives remain in place.
The proposed incentives are as follows:
$,0 "transfer incentive" for any Lateral Police Officer to be paid at the following milestones:
o $8,333.33 to be paid at the completion of the Officer's field training o $8,33333 to be paid upon the Officer completing probation o $8,333.33 to be , paid at the Officer's two-year anniversary with the Department
POLICE DEPARTMENT HIRING INCENTIVES FOR LATERAL POLICE OFFICER AUGUST 8, 023
PAGE 3
- Allow Lateral Police Officers to carry over accumulated sick leave from their former agency, up to 360 hours
Allow Lateral Police Officers to carry over accumulated vacation leave from their former agency, up to 80'hours
Allow Lateral Police' Officers vacation time accrual rate to be based on their total years of service as a sworn law enforcement officer
- Credit existing Downey Police Employees with 40 hours of compensatory time off for recruiting a Lateral Police Officer who successfully completes their 18-month probationary period
Lateral Police Officers bring vast experience and knowledge to their new agency: They have already completed academy training and may be eligible to complete their patrol field training in as little as 10 weeks. In contrast, a recruit must spend 6 months attending the police academy and an additional 6 months in field training before they are allowed to perform as an independent Officer. At the completion of training, these officers still lack the experience and knowledge possessed by a Lateral Police Officer:
Potential lateral applicants commonly balance a variety of career choices in deciding whether or not to leave their agency. By -raising the Department's "Lateral Transfer Incentive" to $25,000, while maintaining the transfer of vacation and sick -time accruals, the Department will be competitivewith other agencies in the area when it comes to the recruitment of Lateral applicants:
CITY COUNCILPRIORITIES
Fiscal Responsibility
Efficiency &'Adaptability
Quality of Life, Safety& Infrastructure
FISCAL I T
Approval of the recommended action(s) will result in a savings of approxrnitately $6,.0 to the General Fund. The wage cost for a new recruit to attend the police academy for six months is approximately $73,87 and will increase to $75,701 on January 1, 2024 due to a scheduled wage adjustment.' This does not include the cost of the academy and staff time for administrative personnel overseeing the recruit while he/she is in the academy. The proposed incentives to attract Lateral Police Officers would cost the City approximately $,2.60 per Lateral Police Officer, while the approximate total cost of sending a Police Officer Recruit to the academy is currently $81,287. If approved, the proposed lateral hiring incentives would save the City approximately $36,857.40 per The total cost per employee was determined calculating their hourly rate, along with all city paid benefits.
POLICE DEPARTMENT HIRING INCENTIVES FOR LATERAL POLICE OFFICER AUGUST 8, 2023
PAGE
Lateral Police Officer when compared to the hiring of a Police Officer Recruit. This estimate assumesthe Lateral Police Officer would receive the maximum accrual incentives offered.
Breakdown ee irin a Lateral Police Officer and an entrylevel Police Officer _ Recruit
Lateral
Cost
Recruit
Cost
360 hrs. Sick Leave
$15;837.60
Academy Training
$8,000.00
80 hrs. Vacation
$3, 3 .00
Recruit Compensation
$73,287.00
(including wages,
benefits, and PERS costs)
Cash incentive for
$25,000.00
Lateral (paid over 2-
years)
Training Time
As little as
Training Time
1 Year
10 week
Total:
$44,429.60
$81,287.00
In addition to the monetary savings, a Lateral Police Officer is a tenured and experienced Officer who will be able to be assigned as an independent officer three to six months sooner than an entry level Police Officer Recruit.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Lateral Police Officer incentive Survey
Attachment : Resolution
v
Agencyiri Incentives
April, 2023
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Lateral Incentives
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Attachment A
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION F THE CITYCOUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY AUTHORIZING
THE POLICET TO OFFERRECRUITMENT INCENTIVES AI T
ATTRACTING LIY POLICE OFFICERSFROM OTHER AGENCIES("LATERAL OFFICERS").
WHEREAS, The City of Downey Police Department is recomending that 'the City Council approve Police Department recruitment incentives aimed at attracting quality police Officers from other agencies ("Lateral Officers").
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF
_ THE CITY OF DOWNEY DOES
HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION . The City of Downey is authorized to offer incentives t "Lateral" Officers that successfully complete the hiring process with the City of Downey to ultimately became Police Officers.
SECTION. The City of Downey is authorized to offer an incentive to current Police Department Employees that successfully recruit a lateral officer to join the Department:
SECTION 3. This Resolution is effective immediately upon adoption.
SECTION . The City Clerk shall certify the passage and adoption of this Resolution and enter it into the book of original Resolutions.
ADOPTEDAPPROVED AND THIS 3th day of AUGUST, 2023.
CLAUDIA FROMETA, Mayor
ATTEST:
...ARIA ALICIA DUARTE, CMC
City Clerk
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by the City Council of the City of Downey at'a regular meeting held on the 8th day of August, 2023, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Council Members:
NOES: Council Members
ABSENT: Council embers:
ABSTAIN: Council embers:
MARIA ALICIA DUA TE, CMC
City Clerk
Attachment