DATE: February 7, 2023
DEPARTMENT: HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
FROM: Steven S. Carrigan, City Manager
Roberto Filice, Police Chief
By: MARIA AVILA, HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST ii mARINA HORTA-GALLEGOS, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
TITLE: POLICE HIRING INCENTIVE
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
No motion is required for this item. Comments and feedback from the Finance Committee on the proposed hiring incentive is requested.
DISCUSSION:
The Police Department currently has 17 vacancies, and we anticipate additional vacancies in the coming months due to industrial retirements and resignations. Recruiting Police Officers is especially challenging given eligibility requirements, the high costs of living and homeownership in Monterey County and surrounding areas. The Human Resources Department has continued with six different, open recruitments and is receiving applications on a continuous basis. The number of applications received this fiscal year total 54. Human Resources and the Police Department have coordinated 9 interviews, 18 candidates have been interviewed, 5 conditional offers have been extended; Unfortunately, 6 candidates have been disqualified through the background process. The City has hired 3 Police Recruits, one of which was an internal promotion and 1 Lateral Police Officer.
These hiring challenges are not new to the Police Department. Over the years, the City has instituted various incentive approaches to hiring. In 2003, the City Council approved a Police Residence Incentive that consisted of a $50,000 home loan program. Staff are reviewing this program and others for further Council consideration. Additionally, in 2015, the City Council approved a Police Officer hiring incentive consisting of a $20,000 incentive for lateral officers and a $5,000 incentive for eligible staff referrals.
The Human Resources Department is collaborating with the Police Department on a proposal for a hiring incentive of $27,500 to support recruitment, hiring, and retention of highly qualified Police Officers and to be competitive with surrounding areas.
To increase recruitment and become competitive, the City would pay a hiring incentive of $27,500 for lateral Police Officers and $10,000 for Police Recruits. This would also include $2,500 for staff referrals. The incentive would be paid in installments.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
The proposed incentive will be funded from salary savings from the existing Police Officer vacancies.
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CITY OF SALINASFinance CommitteeCITY OF SALINASFinance Committee
CITY OF SALINAS
Finance Committee
CITY OF SALINAS
Finance Committee