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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Authorization to Initiate a Referral Incentive Program for eligible sworn and non- sworn employees of the Glendale Police Department and a Signing Bonus Program for eligible lateral police officers and lateral dispatchers.
1. Motion authorizing the Glendale Police Department to implement a Referral Incentive Program for eligible sworn and non-sworn employees of the Glendale Police Department and a Signing Bonus Program for eligible lateral police officers and lateral dispatchers.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Consent Item
Approved for November 14, 2023 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Glendale Police Department is experiencing unprecedented difficulty in locating and securing qualified candidates for various sworn and non-sworn positions in the Department. The Department seeks to offer an Incentive Program whereby eligible employees in the Department can receive a monetary bonus for bringing qualified applicants to the Department, as well as a signing bonus for lateral officers and dispatchers.
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RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Glendale Police Department to implement a Referral Incentive Program for eligible sworn and non-sworn employees of the Glendale Police Department, and a Signing Bonus Program for lateral police officers and lateral dispatchers.
ANALYSIS
The Police Department is currently dealing with the industry-wide difficulty of hiring police officers and other non-sworn staff. Despite the Department’s increased efforts, we currently have 15 vacant officer positions, and expect to lose more through retirements and attrition. Similarly, there are currently 22 vacancies in non-sworn positions such as Dispatch and Custody. This struggle is not unique to the City of Glendale; agencies nationwide have felt the effects of a perception shift against careers in law enforcement.
As a result, competition between agencies to find highly qualified individuals in a shrinking pool of applicants has increased tremendously.
Many local agencies are offering employee hiring incentives in an effort to attract candidates. LAPD has offered a hiring (signing) bonus of $10,000 and Inglewood Police Department is offering $40,000. South Gate and Beverly Hills each offer $20,000. In northern California, the City of Alameda recently made headlines by offering a $75,000 hiring bonus for police officers.
Another approach that agencies are employing is a recruitment incentive whereby current employees receive incentive pay for their role in recruiting candidates. Some agencies pay half of the bonus upon hire, with the remaining half upon academy graduation or completion of a probationary period (1 year for police officers.) Other agencies (Anaheim PD) pay the full incentive upon hiring.
Referral Program
Under the Referral Program, any current full-time salaried GPD employee who refers an applicant to the Department can receive up to $5,000 (to be paid as income during a regular pay period). The referring employee will submit a form via the City’s Intranet stating that they have referred a potential applicant. That information will be maintained by Human Resources. When a new employee is hired, HR will check to see if they were referred by a qualifying employee. If so, the referring employee will receive $2,500. If the new hire completes their probationary period, the referring employee will receive another $2,500.
The following restrictions will apply to the Program:
1. Eligible employees must be full-time salaried Police Department employee (sworn or non-sworn).
2. Eligible employees must be employed by the City at the time the Incentive is due in order to receive it. For example, if a referring employee retires before the applicant gets hired, they will not be eligible to receive any Incentive. Likewise, if a referring employee 3{{section.number}}b
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retires between the time of hire and the time the new hire passes probation, the referring employee will only be eligible to receive the first $2,500.
3. The Incentive does not apply to any referral resulting from working a recruitment event.
4. If two or more GPD employees refer the same person, a determination will be made by PSB as to which employee receives the Incentive. The determination will not necessarily be based on which employee submitted the referral first.
5. The following positions are not eligible for the Incentive (an employee’s position when the referral is made will be used to determine eligibility):
•Police
•Chief Command Staff
•PSB Lieutenant overseeing personnel/hiring
•PSB Sergeant overseeing personnel/hiring
•Background Investigators
•Any hiring manager where the applicant is applying for a job in that hiring manager’s unit/division.
Such an internal referral incentive will add to the GPD’s existing recruitment strategies and create a sense of shared responsibility for spreading the word about the benefits of working for the City of Glendale.
Signing Bonus Program
Under the Signing Bonus Program, full-time lateral police officers and lateral dispatchers (currently employed by another agency) who are hired will receive up to $20,000. The first payment of $10,000 will be made upon hire, the second payment of $10,000 will be paid upon successful completion of probation. The bonus will be paid as income within a regular pay period.
Such a signing bonus will serve to incentivize experienced police officers and dispatchers (who already possess training and P.O.S.T. certification) to apply to the Glendale Police Department.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
Not applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs for the Referral Program and the Signing Bonus Program are estimated to be $200,000. The Police Department budget can absorb this cost and therefore no new appropriation is being requested at this time. The funding is outlined below:
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Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$200,000 GL: 41700-1010-GPD General Fund
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
N/A
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Deny the Police Department’s request. Alternative 2: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Manuel Cid, Police Chief
Prepared by:
Jason Ross, Police Lieutenant
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
None.