Item 393/2026
Final
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
To: Lisa L. Kim From: Jany Lee
Dept: City Manager Dept: Human Resources
Date: 9/22/2026
Subject: Adoption of a Resolution implementing the terms and conditions of employment for Police Recruits. (Action Item)
OBJECTIVE
To obtain City Council approval to reallocate the Police Recruit classification from a part-time to a full-time classification, and approval and adoption of a resolution establishing and implementing the terms and conditions of employment for Police Recruit.
BACKGROUND
Police Recruit is an entry-level classification in which incumbents attend a basic police academy and, upon successful completion, are appointed to a sworn Police Officer position. Currently, employees in the Police Recruit classification are designated as parttime, unrepresented, despite attending the police academy on a full-time schedule.
On August 25, 2026, the City Council approved a single-step salary of $40.99 per hour for Police Recruit and allocated the classification on the City’s full-time salary schedule. The proposed resolution is a related action that formally establishes Police Recruit as a full-time, unrepresented classification and outlines the terms and conditions of employment for the Police Recruit classification.
DISCUSSION
The Police Department has 16 Police Officer vacancies, with one Police Recruit currently attending a POST-certified police academy to fill one of these vacancies. The City continues its recruitment efforts to attract and hire qualified candidates. However, many agencies, including Garden Grove, are experiencing difficulty in attracting candidates in a competitive recruitment environment.
As part of these ongoing efforts, Human Resources staff conducted a survey on the Police Recruit classification among other Orange County law enforcement agencies. The survey revealed that Garden Grove is one of three Orange County agencies that does not recognize Police Recruits as full-time employees or enroll them into the CalPERS Retirement System Item 393/2026
upon hire. This places the City at a competitive disadvantage when prospective candidates compare overall compensation and benefits offered by competing agencies.
To improve the City’s competitiveness in recruiting qualified candidates, staff recommends reallocating Police Recruit from a part-time to full-time classification, in addition to establishing a resolution that defines the terms and conditions of employment to reflect the unique circumstances while attending the academy.
The new Resolution addresses the following terms of employment:
Wages: Recognition of the Police Recruit classification on the publicly available Citywide salary schedule approved by the City Council, Employment Status: Classification as a full-time, unrepresented employee to reflect the full-time schedule required while attending the police academy, CalPERS Retirement: Enrollment into the CalPERS Retirement system as a miscellaneous member upon hire,
Health, Dental, and Vision benefits: Eligibility for “employee only” level medical allowance,
Sick Leave: Accrual and use of sick leave in accordance with State law, Uniform Allowance, and
Employment After Graduation: Conditions governing continued employment with the City following successful completion of the policy academy.
Establishing Police Recruit as a full-time classification and providing fringe benefits that are consistent with those offered by other Orange County law enforcement agencies will strengthen the City’s ability to attract and retain qualified candidates. The proposed changes also create a clear and consistent framework governing the compensation and benefits provided to Police Recruits during their academy attendance, while aligning the classification with the full-time nature of the position.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed changes will increase personnel costs associated with CalPERS employer contributions, health benefits, and other applicable fringe costs for Police Recruits. The City currently has one (1) Police Recruit enrolled in the academy, with the possibility of filling up to three additional positions toward the end of 2026. Existing appropriations and savings from vacant Police Officer positions are sufficient to absorb these costs; therefore, no additional General Fund appropriation is requested.
Item 393/2026
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
Approve the reallocation of Police Recruit from a part-time classification to a full-time classification, and
Approve and adopt the Resolution implementing the terms and conditions of employment for Police Recruit.
By: Caitlyn Stephenson, Principal HR Analyst
ATTACHMENT(S)
Resolution