December 17, 2024
DocID #32586v1
Public Works
DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works
Tawfic Halaby, Deputy Director of Public Works
Subject:
Resolution to Approve Three As-Needed Contracts for
Vehicle Body Repairs
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditure will be funded from the approved Fiscal year Public Works operating budgets for Fleet Division. The expenditure will be charged to
Account String: 01235031-400501.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City staff is requesting approval from City Council to
approve to contracts with Andy’s Auto Body, Falcon
Collision Repair, Inc., and Ron DuPratt Ford for vehicle body repairs.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution approving three-year as-needed
contracts with three vendors, Andy’s Auto Body, Falcon
Collision Repairs, Inc., and Ron DuPratt Ford, for vehicle body repairs in an amount not-to-exceed $50,000 per
year per vendor, beginning January 1, 2025, through
December 31, 2027, with two optional one year
extensions in the amount not-to-exceed $50,000 per year per vendor – Public Works Department (Tawfic Halaby
510-620-5482/Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478).
AGENDA
REPORT
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December 17, 2024
DocID #32586v1
DISCUSSION:
City staff is requesting that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the approval of as-needed contracts for vehicle body repair services from a pre-qualified list of contractors. Vehicle body repairs for City-owned vehicles are frequently required; however, these repairs cannot be performed by Fleet Maintenance staff due to the specialized nature of the work.
In response to this need, a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Vehicle Body Repair Services was publicly issued via the BidsOnline system on March 6, 2024, and remained open for two weeks, closing on March 20, 2024. A total of 182 registered vendors were automatically notified of the RFP posting. In response, three bids were received, with one of the bidders being a City of Richmond business. The following contractors were deemed responsive and qualified to perform the required services:
ANDY’S AUTO BODY (RICHMOND, CA)
FALCON COLLISION (CONCORD, CA)
RON DUPRATT FORD (DIXON, CA)
It is in the best interest of the City to establish contracts with all three qualified vendors.
The recommended vendors have demonstrated the necessary qualifications and capacity to perform the required repairs.
Based on the results of the competitive bidding process, Fleet Maintenance staff recommends the approval of as-needed service contracts with Andy’s Auto Body, Falcon Collision Repair, Inc., and Ron DuPratt Ford. These contracts will provide the City with reliable and efficient repair services for its fleet of vehicles, in compliance with the City’s procurement policies and procedures.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – City Council Resolution for As-Needed Vehicle Repairs Attachment 2(a) – Contract with Andy’s Auto Body
Attachment 2(b) – Contract with Falcon Collision
Attachment 2(c) – Contract with Ron Dupratt Ford
Attachment 3 – Request for Proposals
Attachment 4 – BidsOnline Project Report
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Reso. No. XX-24
DocID #32587v1
RESOLUTION NO. XX-24
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND,
CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING STANDING CONTRACTS FOR AS-NEEDED
VEHICLE BODY REPAIRS WITH THREE FIRMS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $150,000 PER FIRM OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1, 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2027, WITH TWO ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OPTIONS, FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000 PER YEAR PER FIRM
WHEREAS, the City often requires vehicle body repairs for City-owned vehicles that cannot be completed by Fleet Maintenance staff: and
WHEREAS, the repair-by-repair selection process for vehicle body repair services can take several months; and
WHEREAS, City has demonstrated that the use of a pool of vehicle body repair vendors that have passed a competitive bidding process on an as-needed basis eliminates much of the delay and costs associated with project -by-project bidding; and
WHEREAS, on March 6, 2024, the City issued a Request for Proposals for as-needed vehicle body repairs through the City's BidsOnline , and three (3) vendors submitted responsive Bid Worksheets; and
WHEREAS, the firms are: Andy’s Auto Body, Falcon Collision Repair, and RonDuPratt Ford; and
WHEREAS, each service contract with an approved firm will be for an amount not- toexceed $150,000 over a three-year contract period with the option to extend each contract for two optional one-year extensions in the amount not to exceed $50,000 per year per firm; and
WHEREAS, the Public Works Fleet Maintenance staff will manage the contracts;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council finds the above recitals are true and correct and have served, together with the Agenda Report, as the basis for the findings and actions set forth in this Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council hereby authorizes the City Manager to execute and make amendments to the contracts as needed to facilitate the completion of the Project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council designates the City Clerk as the custodian of the documents and other materials which constitute the record of proceedings upon which the decision herein is based. These documents may be found at the office of the City Clerk at the Richmond City Hall, 450 Civic Center Plaza , Richmond, California 94804.
*********************
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Reso. No. XX-24
DocID #32587v1
I certify that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Richmond at a regular meeting thereof held December 17, 2024, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
PAMELA CHRISTIAN
CLERK OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND
(SEAL)
Approved:
EDUARDO MARTINEZ
Mayor
Approved as to form:
DAVE ALESHIRE
City Attorney
State of California }
County of Contra Costa : ss.
City of Richmond }
I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of Resolution No. XX-24, finally passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Richmond at a regular meeting held on December 17, 2024.
Pamela Christian, Clerk of the City of Richmond
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December 17, 2024
Mayor's Office
DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:
Mayor Eduardo Martinez
Subject:
State of the City Address by Mayor Eduardo Martinez
FINANCIAL IMPACT: N/A
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
N/A
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez will deliver the
annual State of the City Address to the Richmond City
Council and the public.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: RECEIVE the Annual State of the City Address from Mayor Eduardo Martinez – Mayor Eduardo Martinez
(510-620-6503).
DISCUSSION: The Charter of the City of Richmond under Article III-A states the following: The Mayor shall make an annual report to the City Council as to the AGENDA
REPORT
1549
December 17, 2024
conditions and affairs of the City. This annual report will be presented by the Mayor as the State of the City Address.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
The State of the City presentation is available on the City of Richmond’s website. It can be found on the Mayor’s Office website (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3539/State-of- theCity), and you may call the office at (510) 620-6503 for assistance in obtaining a copy.
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December 17, 2024
City Council
DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Council Member Gayle McLaughlin
Subject:
Presentation on The Concept of Villages For The
Unhoused
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
A presentation from Richmond’s Village Development
Team on the benefit of villages for the unhoused and how they fit into a whole person approach for resolving
homelessness.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation from Richmond’s Village
Development Team on the benefit of villages for the
unhoused – Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin (510-620-
6636).
AGENDA
REPORT
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December 17, 2024
DISCUSSION:
This item is to receive a presentation from Richmond’s Village Development Team on empowerment villages for the unhoused community. More broadly, it is about why community is important to unhoused individuals as they learn resiliency, new skill sets and how to transition into better lives. Villages involve relationship-building and motivating real personal changes, over time, not just getting people into subsidized housing befo re they are ready. In short, villages serve a very important role in getting people off the streets and prepared for the next stage of their journey from tent to home.
Addressing complex homelessness requires a Whole Person approach with solutions that make space for people to move, step by step, from the streets into a more care -driven and equity-centered approach. In this approach, everyone’s voice matters to uplift health and reduce harm in a community environment. Community agreements get set up between housed and unhoused residents to assure that communication and problem - solving happens for continuous improvement.
Housing First is on the right track, but we need more elements that create pathways to sustain their housing. One of the key elements need ed to ensure authentic change - making is peer accompaniment. This presentation will explain this concept and discuss how peer-based support leads to the efficacy of community.
This model is committed to safe, street -level and dignified pathways that build a culture of mutual accountability. Empowerment villages are very much part of this pathway to ultimately stable permanent housing.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – PPT presentation from Richmond’s Village Development Team
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Why Empowerment Villages?
Add TWH Logo as
centerpiece
Below logo add “A Place
for Us”
When asked what housing options people
would accept, many say they would accept
a shared home with other encampment
residents that they knew/liked.
- Research collaboration by San Jose State University,
UC Davis, Contra Costa Resource Conservation
District, and SOS Richmond
A Place For Us
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Individual & Community Power
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Equal Voice
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A Whole Person Approach
● People empowered to take
action
● Addressing complex
homelessness
● Housing First needs
ongoing contact
● People’s experiences &
perspectives matter most
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Safe, Street-Level, & Dignified
● Small steps mean fewer
barriers
● Being a stakeholder means
accountability
● Community environments
are more efficient for
service delivery
● Peer support is the norm
● Daily schedules mean more
motivation
● Community culture invites
new behaviors
● Personal growth is seen and
honored
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Stages of Empowerment Villages
● No-barrier emergency front
door
● Villages are for people on
personal change journey
● Stable housing offers
residency with no end date
● Homeownership
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More Ideas Needed!
● Partner organizations
● Incentivizing participation
● Funding
● Inter-sector
● Housed neighbors
● Care enhancement
Build power together
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December 17, 2024
Police Department
DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Bisa French, Chief of Police
Timothy Simmons, Assistant Chief of Police
Subject:
Police Officer Retention and Lateral Police Officer
Recruitment Program
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed recruitment expenditure for ten officers is $500,000; however, the cost savings to send ten recruits to the police academy is estimated at $581,228. As such, the net fiscal impact is estimated at $81,228.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
n/a
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The position of Police Officer in the City of Richmond has been critically difficult to fill over the last 4 years. In response to these ongoing recruitment and hiring
challenges, the City of Richmond proposes that the City Council consider a recruitment and hiring incentive
program for Lateral Police Officers.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE an update on police recruitment and retention
promising practices to increase staffing beyond 121 sworn officers; and PROVIDE direction to staff – Police
Department (Chief Bisa French, 510-621-1802).
DISCUSSION:
AGENDA
REPORT
1560
December 17, 2024
The Richmond Police Department continues to face challenges with recruitment and retention, particularly in hiring qualified, experienced lateral police officers. These challenges have impacted the City of Richmond’s ability to recruit and retain experienced employees, which is a phenomenon that has also been seen by many jurisdictions throughout the country. To address this issue and gain a competitive advantage in the recruitment of qualified applicants, many counties and cities have adopted and implemented hiring incentives and retention incentives for current and prospective police officers to ensure they are positioned to recruit applicants into the policing profession and retain qualified officers whom they have already spent a significant amount of time, effort, resources, and compensation in training.
The following chart illustrates RPD sworn personnel new hires versus separations from 2020 through 2024
Year Hired Separated Change
2020 7 15 -8
2021 5 26 -21
2022 10 27 -7
2023 16 5 +11
2024 17 11 +6
The Richmond Police Department is currently authorized to employ 146 sworn personnel, for a total of 121. Nine trainees are either attending or will start the police academy soon. These staffing numbers do not reflect sworn personnel on any form of injury or administrative leave.
To enhance our recruitment efforts and compete meaningfully with other Bay Area jurisdictions, the Police Department proposes that the City Council consider establishing a special recruitment incentive program to attract up to approximately ten (10) lateral police officers to the Richmond Police Department. This proposal will target officers with at least three years of consecutive service who possess the necessary experience and stability in their professional careers and have a demonstrated work product that can be evaluated for suitability with the Richmond Police Department. This bonus structure would incentivize prospective lateral officers and current Police Department employees who successfully recruit a lateral police officer.
In addition to the challenges associated with recruiting Lateral Police Officers, the Richmond Police Department has faced significant challenges with officer retention.
Unfortunately, over the past five years, tenured officers have been leaving the City of Richmond for positions in other jurisdictions, straining our staffing levels, increasing 1561
December 17, 2024
training costs, and necessitating the implementation of mandatory overtime for existing personnel. In response, the Police Department Administration aims to highlight promising practices to increase retention for our existing sworn personnel to incentivize our sworn staff to remain employed with the City of Richmond to reward long-term commitment to our city and department.
Recruiting experienced lateral Police Officers is a strategic priority for the Richmond Police Department. Lateral candidates often face significant challenges when considering transfers to another jurisdiction, including:
Loss of accumulated years of service affecting vacation accrual rates, longevity pay incentives, and civil service rights.
Sacrifices in salary progression and related benefits. Loss of working in a specialty assignment.
The costs associated with hiring a new police officer are substantial, encompassing both time and financial resources. The process includes staff hours administering written and physical agility tests, conducting extensive background investigations, facilitating medical and polygraph exams, completing other necessary evaluations, and paying for selected applicants to attend the police academy. The cost associated with recruiting and hiring one (1) new officer is approximately $58,122.80. These steps, critical to ensuring only qualified and trustworthy candidates are selected to service our citizens, can take up to six (6) months to complete, with an additional six (6) months until they graduate from the police academy. This prolonged timeline adds to the expense, making recruitment significantly costlier than recruiting a lateral police officer who can immediately enter the training program and begin serving the community within just a few months and retaining current staff who already possess the training, institutional knowledge, and experience required to provide service to our community.
Recognizing the operational and community benefits of maintaining a fully staffed police force, the Richmond Police Department proposes implementing an incentive program to address these challenges and attract qualified lateral applicants. The following hiring incentives are proposed to be offered to Lateral Police Officer candidates who complete the hiring process:
DRAFT Recruitment & Hiring Incentive:
1. Consider a monetary incentive of up to $45,000, paid in three installments:
o $15,000 upon successful completion of the hiring process and start of employment.
o $15,000 upon successful completion of the field training program. o $15,000 upon successful completion of the probationary period.
To qualify, candidates must have at least 3 years of experience as full- time police officers and a demonstrated work product that complies with RPD standards.
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December 17, 2024
2. Vacation Accrual Rates: Consider starting vacation accrual rates based on years of service at their existing agency, with incremental increases as outlined in the Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) for the Richmond Police Officers Association.
3. Employee Referral Incentive: Consider a $5,000 to be paid to any current Richmond Police Department employee who successfully recruits a qualifying lateral officer hired by the department. The $5,000 will be paid upon the lateral officer’s first day of employment with the Richmond Police Department.
DRAFT Employee Retention:
1. Consider Retention compensation for sworn officers on their anniversary date, contingent on a satisfactory employee performance evaluation.
Expected Benefits
Reduced Turnover: The retention bonus rewards officers for their continued service, reducing the likelihood of officers leaving for other jurisdictions. Lower Recruitment and Training Costs: Retaining experienced officers will minimize the need for costly recruitment and training programs required to replace those who leave.
Increased Morale: Financial incentives tied to an officer's anniversary and satisfactory performance reinforce their importance to the department and will boost overall morale.
Reduced Overtime Expenses: For the past three consecutive years, officers have been mandated to work extensive monthly overtime to maintain minimum staffing levels and required public safety services to the community. With the net addition of ten lateral officers, the department would anticipate eliminating mandatory overtime.
All of the proposed incentives above require Council ratification before implementation. The effective date will be determined by the City Council, as deemed appropriate.
Summary: Bay Area Lateral Officer Incentive Programs (Attachments 1-5) City of Alameda: $75,000 per lateral applicant hired
City of Concord: $20,000 per lateral applicant hired
City of Berkeley: $25,000 per later applicant hired
City of Antioch: $30,000 per lateral applicant hired Contra Costa County Sheriff: $15,000 per lateral applicant hired
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Summary: Current Academy Recruit Expenses
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – City of Alameda, California
Attachment 2 – City of Berkeley, California
Attachment 3 – City of Concord, California
Attachment 4 – City of Antioch, California
Attachment 5 – Contra Costa County, California
Program Average Cost
Pysch E val $350.00
Physical E val $263.80
Polygraph E val $625.00
Academy $4,385.00
Academy Misc. Costs $500.00
Uniform $1,200.00
S alary - CoR Police Officer T rainee$7,257.00
S ix Months $43,542.00
S even Months $50,799.00
E ight Months $58,056.00
$50,799.001 month wait/clearance
$58,122.80(average per recruit)
$581,228.0010 recruit cost
New Hire Officer Costs
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EXHIBIT A
Temporary Recruitment and Hiring Incentives for Lateral, Academy Graduate, and Entry Level Police Officers
PURPOSE
The position of Police Officer in the City of Alameda has been critically difficult to fill over the last 10 years. In response to recruitment and hiring challenges, the City of Alameda has established a Recruitment and Hiring Incentive Policy for Lateral, Academy Graduate, and Entry Level Police Officers, as set forth below. This policy defines specific recruitment and hiring incentives that may be offered to candidates and to City of Alameda employees who refer successful candidates.
The City recognizes that, in order for experienced Lateral Police Officers to transfer from other agencies, they may have to sacrifice accumulated years of service that provide for higher vacation accrual rates, time that is counted towards longevity pay incentives, civil service rights to their job, and progression in their respective salary schedule.
Additionally, the City endeavors to attract and recruit highly qualified Academy Graduate and Entry Level Police Officers. The City also recognizes that a significant monetary incentive may be required in order to attract qualified candidates and that word of mouth recruitment efforts from our Police Officers and other city employees is an effective method of attracting qualified applicants.
The City also recognizes that there are cost savings, operational benefits, and other community benefits when we are able to hire trained, experienced officers and maintain a fully-staffed police force.
OVERALL GUIDELINES
The City of Alameda may offer qualified candidates any combination of the following hiring incentives as appropriate:
1) For Lateral Police Officer candidates only, a reduction of the 24-month probationary period by 12 months, allowing an experienced Lateral Police Officer candidate to achieve civil service status after 12 months of service. To be eligible for this benefit, Lateral Police Officer candidates must have at least two years of experience as a Police Officer.
For Lateral Police Officer candidates only, advanced step in the salary schedule to ensure the City can meet or reasonably exceed the candidate’s current compensation.
2) For Lateral Police Officer candidates only, starting vacation accrual rate that is commensurate with the candidate’s years of service as a peace officer. Said accrual rate shall increase in re gular increments going forward as provided in the vacation accrual schedule described in the Memoranda of Understanding for the Alameda Police Officers Association. As an example: a Lateral Officer with seven years of experience will accrue twenty days of vacation per year upon hire and their accrual rate would increase to twenty-one days upon completion of one year of service with the City of Alameda and so forth.
3) For Lateral Police Officer candidates only, additional vacation hours for candidates with five or more years of experience. The City would grant up to 80 hours of vacation upon completion of 12 months of service. These vacation hours would be considered additional accruals and would not affect ongoing vacation accrual rates.
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4) For Lateral Police Officer candidates only, year for year service credits up to a maximum of ten years to be used towards the years of service required to obtain the Retention Pay incentive as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding for the Alameda Police Officers Association. For a lateral officer with ten or more years of service this would amount to a 3% increase in pay. As an example: a Lateral Officer with ten years of service credit would be eligible for the 10 year service retention pay rate of 3% upon hire and would be eligible for the fifteen year service retention pay rate upon completion of five years of service with the City of Alameda.
5) For Later Police Officer candidates only, front loading of up to 48 of the 96 sick leave hours police officers accrue annually. Front loading of sick leave accruals shall result in an employee not accruing additional sick leave until his/her service time is equal to that in order to generate the amount of front-loaded sick leave. At that time, accrual shall commence at the awarded rate.
6) For all candidates, a recruitment incentive totaling up to $75,000 to be paid out as follows:
$25,000 upon being sworn in with proof of having graduated from an accredited California POST academy. Out of state candidates would qualify if they successfully challenge and pass California POST academy standards and achieve California POST certification. $50,000 paid upon completion of the Field Training Program. To be eligible for this second incentive payment, hired personnel must commit to five years of service. Voluntary separation or termination for cause prior to five years of service would require a prorated payback at $10,000 per year not to exceed $50,000. Where personnel are terminated for cause any time spent on Administrative Leave, paid or unpaid, related to the reason for termination will not be counted as time worked toward their five years of service. While this provision is not intended to affect the City’s right to terminate probationary employees without cause , any probationary employee terminated by the City without cause during the five year period shall retain the fully $50,000, unless the City affirmatively demonstrates just cause for the termination and thus triggering the repayment provisions of this section.
The City of Alameda will also provide its full-time employees with the option to choose either of the following recruitment incentives for the referral of a Lateral Officer who successfully completes one year of service with the City of Alameda:
1) Two days of vacation or the equivalent cash payment. The time would need to be used in the same calendar year as earned, unless it is within the last four full pay periods of the calendar year, in which case the employee will be eligible to receive the leave hours after January 1st of the following calendar year. Any leave awarded that is unused by the end of the calendar year, besides the exception noted above, will be paid out to the employee in cash.
2) A lump sum $1,000 referral incentive bonus, paid in cash, not to be included in any CalPERS pension contribution calculations (non-PERSable).
In order for an employee to be eligible for either referral incentive option, the newly hired lateral candidate must have indicated on their application for employment the referring employee’s name.
Should the lateral officer separate from employment before one full year of service, the employee shall not receive either incentive option.
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GENERAL PROCEDURES
When the Police Department identifies a lateral candidate, the Chief of Police will prepare explanatory language on the Hire Request Form for approval by the Human Resources Director and City Manager prior to the offer being made. This explanation should include language addressing the Department’s current hiring needs and the candidate’s current years of service, compensation level, and benefits package. The memo should also identify if an advanced salary step will cause salary compaction with current police officers at the same salary level.
Should a recruitment incentive bonus payment be offered to a lateral candidate, APD will notify the Human Resources Department once the lateral candidate successfully completes Field Training. Human Resources will process the first bonus payment, if applicable.
The Human Resources Department will review this policy annually at fiscal year-end to evaluate if Police Officer remains a hard to recruit position. The following criteria will be used in the evaluation.
Does the Police Department have current long-term vacancy rates despite repeated recruitment efforts to fill vacant positions?
Is there a documented shortage in the labor market for experienced Police Officers?
If the criteria above no longer exist, the Recruitment Incentive Program will be suspended. 1567
2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 Tel: 510.981.7000 TDD: 510.981.6903 Fax: 510.981-7099 E-mail: [email protected]
Office of the City Manager
August 25, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: LB Dee Williams-Ridley, City Manager
Subject: Berkeley Police Department Recruiting and Retention Program (RRIP)
INTRODUCTION
The Law enforcement profession is in an extreme staffing crisis due to many factors, including high retirement and resignation rates and a smaller number of qualified applicants willing to pursue a career as a police officer (See Appendix A Figure 1).
In Berkeley, the staffing crisis is particularly acute. The Berkeley Police Department (BPD) currently has 31 police officer vacancies and 13 dispatcher vacancies (a problem compounded by the fact that 20 officers and four dispatchers are presently eligible to retire).
The impact of this crisis has been felt throughout BPD and has forced the department to reduce services and impose mandatory overtime shifts to meet its public safety mandate. Service has suffered; police responses and investigations are delayed, and our proactive policing and community engagement efforts are reduced. The current situation is not sustainable, and staffing will continue to decline without significant and aggressive interventions.
The proposed RRIP is part of a comprehensive strategy designed to reverse the downward staffing trend BPD is experiencing by making the department more competitive in today's hiring environment.
BACKGROUND
The current employment environment, impacts of retirements, resignations, and a lack of qualified candidates interested in law enforcement careers have significantly impacted department staffing. Here are some details on the status of two of our most important positions:
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:
Police Officers
BPD is in the midst of a staffing crisis among our sworn staff. The department is budgeted for 181 officers, and we currently have 150. The impacts of this crisis are being felt throughout the department and create substantial public safety challenges.
This problem is exacerbated by attrition and the extended time it takes to identify, background, hire and train officers. The department has averaged an annual loss of 13 sworn staff since 2006. Our current hiring rate is nine officers per year, putting us at a net loss of 4 (See Appendix A, Figure 2). If we increased our hiring rates to 16 candidates per year (double what we hired in 2021), we would reach our authorized staffing level of 181 in 2032.
Dispatchers
BPD is currently budgeted to have 36 dispatchers and now only has 24. Six dispatchers and one supervisor (1/4 of our dispatch team) are eligible to retire. On average, over the last five years, we have hired between three and four dispatchers per year, with only one or two of them passing the training.
Increasing the number of annual new hires will help us to consistently get three dispatchers through the program annually, allowing the department to achieve its staffing goal by 2028.
RECRUITING AND RETENTION INCENTIVE PROGRAM PROPOSAL
As competition for qualified candidates has tightened, law enforcement agencies in the region and around the country have taken unprecedented steps to meet their staffing needs. Many now offer hiring incentives designed to attract qualified applicants. BPD staff has analyzed incentive programs offered by other agencies and found hiring bonuses ranging from $7,500 - $30,000 (Santa Cruz PD and Pleasant Hill PD: $20,000, San Mateo PD and Antioch PD: $30,000). After evaluating these programs, BPD staff created the RRIP proposal to support our hiring efforts.
Program Description
The RRIP supports recruiting efforts with hiring bonuses and retention through a payment distribution schedule that encourages employees to remain at the department long enough to establish themselves here. The program reinforces these efforts by providing current city staff with bonuses when they recruit a successful candidate. The program pay structure is broken down into the following categories and timelines:
New Hire: Police Officer
• Level 1 - Entry (No Experience): $12,000 in total, with $4,000 paid upon hire, $4,000 paid upon completion of the Field Training Program, and $4,000 paid upon completion of the two-year probationary period.
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:
• Level 2- Lateral (Academy Graduates): $15,000 in total, with $5,000 paid upon hire, $5,000 paid upon completion of the Field Training Program, and $5,000 paid upon completing the eighteen-month probationary period. • Level 3 – Lateral (Current Peace Officer/Non-Probationary): $25,000 in total, with $10,000 paid upon hire, $5,000 paid upon completion of the Field Training Program, and $10,000 paid upon completion of the eighteen-month probationary period.
New Hire: Public Safety Dispatcher
• Level 1 - Entry (No Experience): $5,000 in total , with $2,500 paid upon hire and $2,500 paid upon completion of the probationary period.
• Level 2 – Lateral (Current Public Safety Dispatcher II – 2 years with consolidated public safety agency or three years with a non-consolidated agency AND possession of POST Dispatch Certificate): $5,000 total, with $2,500 paid upon hire, and $2,500 paid upon completion of the probationary period.
City Employee Referral Payment: Police Officer
• Level 1 - Entry (No Experience): $5,000 in total, with $2,500 paid at the hire date; $2,500 when the recruit police officer completes the probationary period. • Level 2- Lateral (Academy Graduates): $5,000 in total, with $2,500 paid at the hire date; $2,500 when the lateral police officer completes the probationary period.
• Level 3 – Lateral (Current Peace Officer/Non-Probationary): $7,500 in total, with $2,500 paid at the hire date; $5,000 when the lateral police officer completes the probationary period.
City Employee Referral Payment: Public Safety Dispatcher • Level 1 - Entry (No Experience): $5,000 in total, with $2,500 paid at the hire date; $2,500 when the dispatcher completes the probationary period. • Level 2- Lateral (2 Years at a Consolidated Agency): $5,000 in total, with $2,500 paid at the hire date; $2,500 when the dispatcher completes the probationary period.
The effective date for bonuses for newly hired employees would be retroactive to January 1, 2022. The effective date of the referral program under the RRIP will be the date City Council approves funding for the program (See Appendix B for more detailed program rules).
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Anticipated Program Costs
Costs to meet current annual hiring goals:
Current hiring trends indicate the department will likely be able to hire approximately ten entry-level officers, three laterals, and four dispatchers annually (academy graduates were omitted because they are rare and cost less than laterals). In the event that all of the newly hired employees were referred by city employees and all completed their 18- 24 month probationary period, the total costs (once the probationary period was completed) would be:
• 1 Entry Level Officer with referrals $17,000 x 10 officers = $170,000 • 1 Lateral Officer with referral $32,500 x 3 laterals = $ 97,500 • 1 Dispatcher with Referral $10,000 x 4 dispatchers = $ 40,000 • TOTAL COST $307,500
In 2022 the department hired one lateral 1, one lateral 2, and three entry-level officers.
The total cost for hiring bonuses for these officers will be $76,000.
First year costs of the program under the above scenario would be approximately $207,750. This estimated cost includes staff that was hired since January 2022 as well as anticipated cost for the remainder of this fiscal year.
The City Manager has placed the costs associated with this proposal as an operational budget request in the AA01 Process.
Other Departmental Recruiting Efforts
The RRIP is just one part of the department's comprehensive strategy focused on resolving the current staffing crisis. Here are some of the steps the department is currently pursuing:
• Ancillary Recruiter Position – The department is creating a team of three officers and one dispatcher who will support the department's online and in-person recruiting efforts. The work they will do in this space will allow the department to have a more significant presence in the field and online and ensure that the department can provide potential applicants with personalized attention that translates into higher application rates.
• Funding for an additional Dispatch Supervisor - The department has approved funding in this year's budget to promote a supervisor who will be tasked with developing and improving the dispatch training program in ways that will increase the program's success rates.
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• Expand Social Media Presence – The department has been working with our online marketing consultants and PIO to create and distribute more materials on our department and recruiting channels.
• Broaden our Reach - The department has sought out additional platforms to feature the department and the benefits of working in this community. Recent efforts include finding new job sites to feature job openings, identifying and using targeting advertising, and purchasing banners and other visual recruiting tools.
• Highlight aspects of the community and department. Staff has been working to identify and highlight things that make the department and the community a unique and attractive place to work and emphasize those things in our recruiting efforts.
The RRIP is part of a more comprehensive strategy designed to reverse BPD’s current staffing trends. Adding this program to our other recruiting and retention efforts will give the department a critical tool that makes us more attractive to the limited number of applicants in today’s job market. As we move forward, BPD will continuously evaluate and modify the RRIP and other recruiting efforts, to ensure our effectiveness and success.
The Chief is available to meet individually with council members to discuss this item and answer any questions.
cc: LaTanya Bellow, Deputy City Manager
Anne Cardwell, Deputy City Manager
Jenny Wong, City Auditor
Mark Numainville, City Clerk
Matthai Chakko, Assistant to the City Manager
Jennifer Louis, Interim Chief of Police
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APPENDIX A
Figure 1
Police Officer Separations in California 2016 - 2021
Figure 2
Berkeley Officer Hiring and Separation Trends 2016 – 2021
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Appendix B
Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program (RRIP) Guidelines
Set forth below are the recruiting and retention incentives for police officers and public safety dispatchers for Fiscal Years 2023/2024.
Effective Date/Eligibility
This RRIP shall apply only to qualified Police Officer Recruits (Entry Level), Police Officer - Academy Graduates, Lateral (Experienced) Police Officers or Public Safety Dispatcher I (Entry Level) and Lateral Public Safety Dispatcher II applicants (as defined below), who are given a conditional offer of employment by the City of Berkeley on or after January 1, 2022, and provided that the applicant is hired by the Berkeley Police Department (BPD) for the position for which the applicant applied. Must currently be employed as an officer or dispatcher by BPD to be eligible for incentive pay.
Current full or part-time City of Berkeley employees may receive a referral incentive for referring a qualified police officer or dispatcher to BPD for employment. (See below for ineligibility guidelines.) Only City of Berkeley employees employed during the employment application process for qualifying applicants, as set forth above, shall be eligible for a referral bonus. It is the responsibility of the referring employee to complete the Recruitment Referral Form. The Recruitment Referral Form must be submitted to the Office Specialist (OS) III in the Personnel and Training Bureau within 30 days of the candidate's application submission to Human Resources. The referring BPD employee must also be named on the applicant's official City of Berkeley application for employment.
Only one recruitment incentive payment is allowed per candidate. If more than one employee recruits the same candidate, only one will be eligible for the incentive. If two or more employees submit a recruitment form for the same candidate, payment will be determined by the date on the form. If forms have the same date, payment will be determined by the time the Personnel and Training Bureau receives them. Only candidates who enter and successfully complete the selection process for employment as outlined above will qualify the referring employee for the incentive.
If the applicant was a former Berkeley police officer who wishes to return to BPD as a lateral officer, his/her separation of employment must be at least three or more years to qualify.
The City Manager reserves the right to modify or terminate this RRIP without prior notice. If, for any reason, the program is terminated, applications received prior to the termination date shall remain eligible for incentive payments, provided the other terms and conditions of the RRIP are satisfied.
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Appendix B
Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program (RRIP) Guidelines Cont.
Ineligibility Guidelines
Members of the police department who are involved in the recruitment, screening, testing, and/or selection process of candidates for the BPD and whose job duties directly or indirectly include recruitment are not eligible for the recruitment referral incentive. The referring employee is responsible for removing themselves from any part of the recruitment, screening, testing, and or/selection process of anyone they recruited to BPD; failing to do so may result in making oneself ineligible for the recruitment referral incentive.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Professional Standards Division Captain, or their designee, will monitor this RRIP to ensure the program is implemented and followed in a timely manner.
The Field Training Officer (FTO) program Lieutenant, or their designee, will be responsible for making a notification to the Personnel and Training Lieutenant within 72 hours of a candidate's successful completion of the FTO program. The Personnel and Training Lieutenant shall then notify the OSIII in writing that the candidate's FTO milestone has been reached.
The Personnel and Training Lieutenant will oversee the Recruiting and Retention Incentive bonus administration with support from the Office Specialist III. The Office Specialist (OS) III is responsible for determining individual employees' eligibility for the incentive bonus, processing Employee Referral and Hiring Incentive Forms, and forwarding the Employee Transaction Form (ETF) to Human Resources for bonus payment approval.
The Human Resources Department is responsible for assuring compliance with these Guidelines. In this role, the Human Resources Department will recommend and/or confirm the information provided on the ETF and provide approval to the Payroll Audit Division for check disbursement. All conditions must be met before payment will be issued.
The Payroll Audit Division will be responsible for identifying funds used for the program as reportable or non-reportable income and for the accounting and distribution of these funds. Payroll Audit will coordinate with BPD and Human Resources for payment authorization. Payroll Audit is also responsible for determining the taxability of any recruitment incentive, which shall be based on current state and federal tax regulations.
Definitions
For purposes of the RRIP, all employees must have met the minimum qualification requirements for the position for which they have applied. Incentives will be considered based on the following definitions:
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Police Officer Recruit (Entry Level) - an entry-level, temporary civil service classification without peace officer powers, rights, or privileges within BPD, used for classification of new recruits during their attendance at a POST Certified Basic Recruit Academy. Upon Appendix B
Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program (RRIP) Guidelines Cont.
successful completion of the required course of study in a POST Basic Academy, incumbents may be accepted as a sworn Peace Officer of the State of California and a Police Officer of the Police Department. This class is distinguished from Police Officer, which is a sworn Classification with peace officer authorities.
Police Officer (Academy Graduate) - completion of a California POST certified police academy Regular Basic Course, with no sworn experience.
Police Officer (Experienced/Lateral) - a current police officer, or was a police officer in the past three years, who possesses a California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Basic Peace Officer certificate.
The following defines the Police Officer position as it relates to both Academy Graduate and Lateral Police Officers: Police Officer is the full working level class in law enforcement, performing all duties required to effectively respond to and resolve the normal scope of peace officer situations encountered. Incumbents may be assigned to patrol, traffic, detective, crime prevention or other police-related classes by designation and the responsibilities and authorities associated with designation as a sworn peace officer under the laws of the State.
Public Safety Dispatcher I (Entry Level) - the entry-level trainee class in the professional public safety dispatching series. Under close supervision, incumbents are trained in providing technical communications support and computer information processing for police, fire, animal control, parking enforcement, and public works functions in a limited capacity. Public Safety Dispatcher I incumbents are expected to gain knowledge and experience through on-the-job training and demonstrate proficiency to promote to Public Safety Dispatcher II upon successful completion of the Public Safety Dispatcher Training Program through a non-competitive personnel action.
Public Safety Dispatcher II (Lateral) - the journey-level class in the professional public safety dispatching series, a specialized public safety civilian class, providing technical communications support and computer information processing for police, fire, animal control, parking enforcement and public works functions in a limited capacity. For the purposes of the RRIP, a Public Safety Dispatcher II must have either (2) years full-time experience working independently in emergency services or communications with computer use and/or two-way radio operations with a consolidated public safety agency (dispatching police and fire), or the equivalent of three (3) years full-time experience working independently in emergency services or communications with computer use 1576
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and/or two-way radio operations with a non-consolidated public safety agency, and possession of a Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Dispatch certificates.
Appendix B
Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program (RRIP) Guidelines Cont.
Incentive Distribution
BERKELEY POLICE DEPARTMENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
Incentive Distribution
Recruitment Incentive Retention Incentive Referral Program Total Incentive Entry-Level Police
Officer
$4,000 Upon hire $4,000 Upon completion
of Field Training
Program, $4,000 Upon
completion of probation
$2,500 to referring
employee upon hire and
additional $2,500 to
referring employee upon
new employee
completing probation
New Hire: $12,000,
Referring Employee:
$5,000
Lateral I (Academy
Graduate) Police
Officer
$5,000 Upon hire $5,000 Upon completion
of Field Training
Program, $5,000 Upon
completion of probation
$2,500 to referring
employee upon hire and
additional $2,500 to
referring employee upon
new employee
completing probation
New Hire: $15,000,
Referring Employee:
$5,000
Lateral II (Current
Peace Officer)
$10,000 Upon hire.
Pay step commensurate
with years of sworn
service
$5,000 Upon completion
of Field Training
Program, $10,000 Upon
completion of probation
$2,500 to referring
employee upon hire and
additional $5,000 to
referring employee upon
new employee
completing probation.
New Hire: $25,000,
Referring Employee:
$7,500
Entry-Level Public
Safety Dispatcher (PSD
I)
$2,500 Upon hire $2,500 Upon completion
of probation
$2,500 to referring
employee upon hire and
additional $2,500 to
referring employee upon
new employee
completing probation
New Hire: $5,000,
Referring Employee:
$5,000
Lateral Public Safety
Dispatcher (PSD II)
$2,500 Upon hire $2,500 Upon completion
of probation
$2,500 to referring
employee upon hire and
additional $2,500 to
referring employee upon
new employee
completing probation
New Hire: $5,000,
Referring Employee:
$5,000
Additional Payroll Procedures
For non-exempt employees, all payments made as part of the Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program (RRIP) under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) constitute a "non-discretionary" bonus. The non-discretionary bonus must be factored into a nonexempt employee's regular rate of pay to determine whether additional overtime payment is required. 29 CFR 778.208 and 778.209; US DOL Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet No. 54 "Retention Bonus" (July 2009).
BERKELEY POLICE DEPARTMENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
PAYROLL & PAYMENT INFORMATION
Processing Responsibility: Payroll Audit Division
Subject to PERS withholding: No (non-pensionable)
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Taxable/Reportable: Yes
Subject to FLSA Regulations Yes
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