Administrative
Report
H.12., File # 24-0248 Meeting Date: 2/20/2024
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: JOE HOFFMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
TITLE
APPROVE A TEMPORARY PERSONNEL ADJUSTMENT IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE
OVER-HIRE OF A POLICE CAPTAIN POSITION FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING PURPOSES AND
TO HELP PREPARE FOR UPCOMING POLICE MANAGEMENT RETIREMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In anticipation of several pending retirements of Police Management staff, the Police Department requests approval of a temporary over-hire of a Police Captain. The adjustment to the Department’s personnel staffing from three to four Captains, through December 2025, would allow for the promotion of a Lieutenant to Captain to ensure immediate retention of the individual and to provide acting management opportunities for prospective Lieutenants and Sergeants. The acting management opportunities would help develop existing personnel in advance of promotions that will be needed to replace the long-tenured Police managers and supervisor scheduled to retire over the next 12 months. The proposed temporary over-hire is in support of the Department’s ongoing succession planning efforts and does not require additional funding, as available personnel budget savings exist in the Department to cover the temporary cost.
BACKGROUND
The importance of succession planning within the Police Department cannot be overstated. The scheduled retirement of three Police Lieutenants and one Police Sergeant in the 2024 calendar year represents a significant transition for the Department. These individuals collectively possess over 100 years of law enforcement service in the City of Redondo Beach, and their departures highlight the critical need for strategic succession planning efforts to maintain organizational efficiency and continuity of leadership.
True succession planning is a comprehensive strategy that ensures the Police Department is prepared for inevitable changes in its leadership structure, thereby safeguarding against any potential disruptions to its operational effectiveness. It is a process that goes beyond merely filling vacancies.
The simultaneous retirement of three Police Lieutenants underscores the vulnerability of the Department to management voids, which could impede efficiency in serving the community during the transition period.
The proposed action is a strategic response to this challenge and would ensure the retention of an experienced Lieutenant by promoting the individual to Captain on a temporary, over-hire basis. This approach ensures operational efficiency by leveraging the experience and knowledge of senior personnel to mentor and guide staff promoted to Police Management positions, which present a
H.12., File # 24-0248 Meeting Date: 2/20/2024
personnel to mentor and guide staff promoted to Police Management positions, which present a steep learning curve to individuals being promoted. There is a wealth of institutional knowledge required to lead effectively in the Police Department and individuals serving as leaders are uniquely qualified to pass this information to their successors, who then serve as the conduits for the future generation of Police Managers.
The recent hiring surge has resulted in 34% of all Sworn Police Officers having joined the Police Department in the last two years, underscoring the need for experienced leadership to oversee the integration and development of these newer staff members. The retention of a senior management team member at the Captain level will be instrumental in managing this transition, fostering career development, and ensuring the succession planning process is aligned with the Department's current vision and long-term strategic goals.
The approval of the Police Captain over-hire request is a critical component of a broader succession planning strategy that aims to mitigate the impact of leadership transitions, enhance organizational resilience, and ensure the Police Department continues to serve the citizens of Redondo Beach with the highest standards of efficiency and integrity. This approach reflects a proactive and strategic investment in the Department's future leadership and operational stability, ensuring that the legacy of excellence and service established by retiring personnel is carried forward by capable and wellprepared successors through robust career development efforts. There is a certified Police Captain promotional list that is valid until March 29, 2024, so no additional testing would be required to fill the requested over-hire. The Captain over-hire will create an immediate Lieutenant vacancy and, subsequently, a Sergeant vacancy that will provide acting opportunities for qualified Police Department personnel in advance of permanent appointments to vacant positions.
Hiring efforts over the last year have been successful at bringing the Department to full staffing with all 98 budgeted, sworn personnel positions being filled, albeit not yet fully deployed. The concerted recruitment efforts have, for the first time in many years, allowed the City to hire new officers at a pace that meets and/or exceeds the profession’s rate of retirement attrition.
COORDINATION
Planning for staff transition and the proposed over-hire have been coordinated with the City Manager’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the cost of the Police Captain over-hire is available in the Police Department’s current operating budget, through cost savings that accrue from regular vacancies and the time it takes to hire and train new police personnel. No additional budget appropriation is required for approval of this item.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager