In an effort to recruit and retain good officers, the San Diego Police Officers Association approved a five-year, $92 million contract after weeks of negotiations with city leaders.
About 88 percent of the SDPOA membership supported the agreement, which includes 3.3 percent pay raises to come in the final two years of the five-year plan. The raise is half that proposed in the tentative contract announced last week.
SDPOA representatives say low pay has discouraged top notch candidates from applying to the San Diego Police Department, and many experienced officers have been enticed away by better-paying agencies. The problem has eroded the department to “dangerously low staffing levels,” the SDPOA says.
"This ratification is an important step forward for our department," said Brian Marvel, president of the SDPOA, in a statement. "This contract is geared toward addressing the recruiting and retention issues our department has faced for several years.
The city has budgeted for 2,013 officers, but the SDPD has employed about 100 fewer than that in recent years. The SDPOA hopes to up that number to 2,100 officers by 2018.
The pay increase will come out of the city’s general fund.
"Every San Diegan deserves to live in a safe neighborhood,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “Working with the brave men and women of the San Diego Police Department, we're going to rebuild our police force and get more officers on the street, working with our communities and keeping us safe.”
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The San Diego City Council now must ratify the contract for it to go into effect.
