City of Gonzales
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: November 20, 2023
FROM: Carmen Gil, City Manager
THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2023-69 Police Officer Recruit Position
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council of the City of Gonzales adopt Resolution No. 2023-69, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales establishing the job classification of a Police Officer Recruit position, adopting a job description, approving the classification of a temporary-short term position, establishing a salary for it, and adjusting the organizational chart to reflect it.
BACKGROUND
The Gonzales Police Department needs a new recruiting and retention strategy. The Department has Explorers, Volunteers, Reserves, Civilian personnel, and full-time sworn Police Officers. What needs to be added is a transitional/pathway position. There is no steppingstone position between those nonacademy graduates and the academy graduates. There is no viable transition from the explorer–reserve position to a Police Officer position unless they pay for and enroll in the P.O.S.T certified Police Academy.
The Department is trying to implement a succession plan to allow it to recruit from our local community and within the Department through a grow-our-own philosophy. It is the Department’s responsibility to work towards department-wide development, the Police Officer Recruit is the first step. Such a development should create increased commitment, greater job satisfaction, and more knowledgeable employees, and enhances the Department’s institutional knowledge. In turn, the Department can expect greater retention of employees and their collective valuable experiences, lower liabilities, and ultimately cost savings. The goal of succession planning and staff development is to ensure that future departmental leaders and employees are well-equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, competencies, and abilities to guarantee the Department’s ongoing success.
AGENDA
ITEM
17 Maintaining a short-term or transitional position such as a Police Officer Recruit position, will only be filled and utilized if the Department has open positions, needs to fill a vacancy, or has a position that will soon be vacant and will need to have someone ready to fill the vacancy as soon as it is open.
The Police Officer Recruit position in an industry-standard position that is utilized as a recruitment and retention strategy by most agencies. Several Monterey County jurisdictions have a Police Officer Recruit type role. Local South Monterey County agencies like Soledad, Greenfield, and King City have similar positions. Gonzales is the only South Monterey County agency that does not employ such a strategy.
REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
The Police Officer Recruit position will have a salary between that of a civilian Police Department employee and a sworn Police Department employee.
The Basic Police Academy course includes fundamental principles, procedures, and techniques of law enforcement, including Criminal Law, Patrol Procedures, Cultural Diversity, Investigative Procedures, Report Writing, Defensive Tactics, Firearms, Leadership, Ethics, Community Policing, Police Vehicle Operations, Traffic Enforcement, Traffic Collision Investigation, Handling Emotional Situations and First Aid/CPR. The course also includes a challenging physical conditioning requirement to prepare academy students for police service.
The implementation of a Police Officer Recruit position will allow the Department to hire the Recruit and pay them while attending the Basic Police Academy, a rigorous police fundamental training program.
Since the Police Officer Recruit is not a sworn Police Officer, they should not be paid as one. The recommended salary for this position is $28 per hour. This rate of pay is within the range when compared to other local agencies. There is no need to establish a salary range since the Police Officer Recruit will be subject to a short-term temporary appointment. Staff believes that paying the Police Officer Recruit a reasonable salary and sending them through the academy will make the Gonzales Police Department more appealing to prospective candidates and will save the Department and the city time and money.
There is no comparable position in the Police Department that would provide for succession from a civilian position to a sworn Police Officer. Implementing the Police Officer Recruit position will do this.
Explain Recommendation and How it Supports the Vision
Gonzales will continue to be a safe, clean, family-friendly community, diverse in its heritage, and committed to working collaboratively to preserve and retain its small-town charm.
Explain: The creation of a Recruit position will provide for a pool of candidates and gives the City an additional recruiting tool to fill open police officer positions.
Explain how the Recommendation Directly Implements the Mission The City Council and Staff of the City of Gonzales will realize our Vision by providing the leadership, commitment and resources necessary to provide excellent services that enhance the quality of life of our diverse community. X Yes ___No ___ NA
Explain: Please see explanation above for the Vision.
City services will be delivered in a cost-effective, respectful and friendly manner to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents and the promotion of business, recreational, housing and employment opportunities in an environmentally sustainable manner. X Yes ___No NA Explain: Please see explanation above for the Vision.
Strong fiscal reporting allows us to provide appropriate resources for:
• Public Safety X Yes No N/A
• Housing Yes No X N/A
• Recreation Yes No X N/A
• Environment Yes No X N/A
• Education X Yes No N/A
Explain: A stable organization is needed to ensure a high level of service necessary to promote public safety for the community and to maintain the City’s infrastructure.
ALTERNATIVES
• Adopt Resolution No. 2023-69; or
• Do not adopt the resolution, or
• Direct staff with an alternative.
BUDGET IMPACT
The annual cost to the City and Department is minimal and the costs will vary based upon the time in class, and their time in training for the Police Officer Recruit. Per the City’s Personnel, Rules, Regulations, and Policies, temporary employees are not eligible for benefits such as insurance and retirement. According to the rules set by CalPERS, a temporary employee cannot work more than 1,000 hours, or would have to be enrolled in the CalPERS retirement program. Therefore, the temporary Police Officer Recruit position could not work more than 1,000 hours in a fiscal year. This would equate to about 26 weeks of work time. Depending on how much of the academy the Recruit will need to finish, it would cost the Department salary and statutory benefits of approximately $30,400 for six months. This cost would be offset by the vacant Police Officer position that the Recruit would be filling, in most cases.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council of the City of Gonzales adopt Resolution No. 2023-69, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales establishing the job classification of a Police Officer Recruit position, adopting a job description, approving the classification of a temporary-short term position, establishing a salary for it, and adjusting the organizational chart to reflect it.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 2023-69
2. Police Officer Recruit Job Description
3. Organizational Chart