For City Council Meeting [April 23, 2019]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Sean Grayson, Interim City Administrator
FROM: Mark P. Kling, Chief of Police
Title
Request City Council to Approve Budget Resolution No. 7503 and Resolution No. 7504 Approving a Recruitment Incentive Program for Lateral Sworn and Non-Sworn Employees to be Included in the FY2018/2019 Police Department Budget.
(ACTION)
Body
BACKGROUND:
Law enforcement agencies throughout the County, including the Rialto Police Department, are facing major challenges in the recruitment of experienced and qualified law enforcement employees. Law enforcement agencies in the region regularly compete for the same pool of sworn and non-sworn candidates. Often times, applicants choose the agency that offers competitive wages and benefits.
Due to attrition, the Rialto Police Department currently has several vacancies with a number of projected vacancies in the near future. Hiring lateral police officers and non-sworn employees benefit the organization by reducing the amount of time employees spend in training, in order to be released to work independently. The Rialto Police Department's current General and Management Memorandum of Understanding's (MOU) require employees be off probation before receiving incentives for education and certificates. Due to this limitation, perspective lateral candidates often choose competing agencies that offer incentives.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Law enforcement agencies have found alternative solutions to attract experienced sworn and non-sworn lateral employees, by implementing these incentives to newly hired employees.
Three examples are:
City
Hiring Incentive
Hemet
$15,000
Westminster
$10,000
Downey
$3,000
A search of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) revealed a number of agencies offering signing incentives ranging from $7,500 to $15,000 for Lateral Police Officers.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department (RSO) currentl...
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