The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) is still struggling to retain officers and attract new hires, despite pay raises of up to 30 percent announced with much fanfare last November.
SDPD's latest staffing update reveals a shortage of more than 250 sworn officers. The department is budgeted for 2,040 officers, but currently employs just 1,787.
Assistant Chief Sandra Albrektsen told a city council committee that the actual number of working officers is lower — 1,669 — because some officers are on military or medical leave.
Albrektsen confirmed that 114 officers have left the department since July 1, 2017. That’s about 14 officers per month, which is the same as the previous fiscal year. Twenty-five of those officers left for jobs in other departments since last July.
Albrektsen acknowledged that those numbers appear to confirm that the pay raises have not yet had the desired effect of improving officer retention. But she said the positive impact of the raises will hopefully register later this year and in 2019, after the first scheduled pay hike of 8.3 percent takes effect in July.
Albrektsen said competition for police officers remains strong throughout the state and nation, and that the situation is not helped by a strong economy and low unemployment which gives current and prospective officers more employment options.
“It took years, literally, to get us into this situation, and it’s going to take time to get out,” Lt. Scott Wahl said.
Local
The steady uptick in violence against police and the perceived dangers of law enforcement makes it a less attractive career, he said. Word of police officer deaths now spreads quickly on the internet in comparison to the past.
“You weren’t seeing (violence against officers) every single day. That kind of violence is now happening somewhere in the country (almost daily),” Wahl said.
Along with pay raises designed to retain veteran officers, the department is taking the following steps to attract more officers:
The waiting time to re-take the written test after failing it has been reduced to 60 days, from 90 days.
Background checks have been streamlined, and changes have been made to the polygraph test.
The city will hire a marketing company, to better promote the department and attract more candidates.
A police captain, lieutenant and sergeant were transferred to the recruiting unit, to help the hiring effort.
There is more focus on local recruiting, including outreach at local high schools, colleges and military bases.
City Councilmember Georgette Gomez endorsed the new effort to recruit more local residents.
“I think there's a better community policing model when we hire people who live in, and are better acquainted with, the community," Gomez said.
The San Diego Police department is still struggling to retain officers and attract new hires, despite pay raises of up to 30 percent, announced with much fanfare last November.
The department’s latest staffing update reveals a shortage of more than 250 sworn officers. The department is budgeted for 2,040 officers, but currently employs just 1787. Assistant Chief Sandra Albrektsen told a city council committee that the actual number of working officers is lower – 1669 – because some officers are on military or medical leave.
Albrektsen confirmed that 114 officers have left the department since July 1, 2017. That’s about 14 officers per month, which is the same as the previous fiscal year. 25 of those officers left for jobs in other departments, since last July.
Albrektsen acknowledged that those number appear to confirm that the pay raises have not yet had the desired effect of improving officer retention. But she said the positive impact of the raises will hopefully register later this year and in 2019, after the first scheduled pay hike, of 8.3 percent, takes effect this July.
Albrektsen said competition for police officers remains strong throughout the state and nation, and that situation is not helped by a strong economy and low unemployment, which gives current and prospective officers more employment options.
Lt. Scott Wahl noted that “It took years, literally, to get us into this situation, and it’s going to take time to get out.”
Wahl also confirmed that the steady uptick in violence against police and the perceived dangers of the make law enforcement a less attractive career. Wahl said word of police officer deaths now spreads quickly on the internet. In the past, he said, “You weren’t seeing (violence against officers) every single day. That kind of violence is now happening somewhere in the country (almost daily).”
Along with pay raises designed to retain veteran officers, the department is taking the following steps to attract more officers:
**The waiting time to re-take the written test after failing it has been reduced to 60 days, from 90 days.
**Background checks have been streamlined, and changes have been made to the polygraph test.
**The city will hire a marketing company, to better promote the department and attract more candidates.
**A police captain, lieutenant and sergeant were transferred to the recruiting unit, to help the hiring effort.
**There is more focus on local recruiting, including outreach at local high schools, colleges and military bases.
City Councilmember Georgette Gomez endorsed the new effort to recruit more local residents. “I think there's a better community policing model, when we hire people who live in – and are better acquainted with -- the community," Gomez said.
