REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
July 30, 2015
FROM: JEFF CARDELL, Director
Personnel Services Department
BY: KEN PHILLIPS, Labor Relations Manager
Personnel Services Department
Sponsor: City Manager, Councilmembers Brand and Brandau
SUBJECT
Title
***Approve a Side Letter of Agreement with the Fresno Police Officers Association (FPOA), representing Unit 4, Non-Supervisory Police Regarding Lateral Hire Incentives
Body
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that Council approve the attached Side Letter of Agreement with FPOA which provides hiring incentives for qualified lateral police hires from other California police agencies and incentives for current Fresno Police Officers who refer lateral hires.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In order to achieve hiring goals for police officers, the City and FPOA have tentatively agreed to hiring incentives for lateral hires from other California Police agencies. The attached side letter contains the terms for the agreement including leave and cash incentives upon hire as well as when an individual passes a field training program, probation, and remaining with the Department one year after passing probation. In order to encourage current Officers to assist in the referrals of lateral hires, the side letter also provides an incentive for Officers that coincide with the milestones of the lateral hires (hire, passing field training, passing probation, and one year after probation).
BACKGROUND
In 2008 the Fresno Police Department had approximately 850 sworn police officers to serve a population of 485,000 people. Since that time the population has grown to approximately 520,000. Unfortunately, the increase in population occurred at a time in which General Fund revenues used to support public safety and other essential services declined, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of Police Officers and Firefighters. While the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget funded 717 Police officers, a combination of attrition and a competitive job market resulted in less the Department having less than 700 Police Officers at the end of the fiscal year.
Although Mayor Swearengin’s FY15/16 budget has allocated funding for 760 sworn positions the ability to fill these positions in a timely manner will continue to be a challenge unless the City’s current recruiting process is modified in order to provide potential candidates with an enticement to join the Fresno Police Department.
The shortage of Police Officers is a state and national problem with a number of cities struggling to maintain acceptable levels of law enforcement due to a shortfall in qualified candidates. The lack of qualified candidates, along with Department’s higher employment standards, makes it difficult to recruit new Cadets/officers or attract lateral transfers of veteran officers at a time when cities are competing against each other to retain and attract the best candidates.
Therefore, given the City’s goal of increasing the number of Police Officers to 760 over the next year, it is vital that recruiting efforts are expanded to provide incentives needed to attract veteran officers from other California police agencies to the Fresno Police Department. In order for this to occur, the Administration and the FPOA have agreed to the attached side letter that provides incentives for lateral hires and for the Officers who refer an individual(s) to the City.
Side Letter Provisions
Lateral hires will be eligible for forty hours of vacation leave and forty hours of sick leave upon hire, a payment of $2,500 upon hire and commencement of work, $2,500 upon completion of the Police Department’s field training program, $2,500 upon successful completion of probation, and $2,500 after an additional one year of service following the completion of the probationary period. This totals to a value of $10,000 in incentive pay and 80 hours of sick/vacation leave per lateral hire. Additionally, lateral hires will be hired at the C Step or above.
In order to qualify for the incentives a lateral hire must have at least two years of experience as a police officer in a California police agency and must be hired by the Fresno Police Department.
In addition, current Officers who refer a qualified lateral hire will receive $250 at each of the steps noted above for a lateral hire, (i.e. hire, completion of the field training program, completion of probation and an additional one year of service after completing probation) for a total of $1,000 per lateral hire. Only one Officer is eligible for a referral for any one lateral hire, and Officers are limited to payment for five referrals (i.e., $5,000) in any fiscal year.
The side letter is effective through June 30, 2016, but can be renewed upon mutual agreement of the parties.
The Office of the City Attorney has approved the side letter as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
N/A
LOCAL PREFERENCE
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT
For the balance of the fiscal year, the potential cost per lateral hire is $5,500. This includes two payments of $2,500 for the lateral hire (hire and completion of the field training program), and $500 for a referring Officer. The total potential cost for a lateral hire that successfully completes at least one year of service after completion of probation is $11,000, spread over two fiscal years, as well as the provision of 40 hours of vacation leave and 40 hours of sick leave when hired. The cost of this agreement will be absorbed by the Police Department.
Attachment:
Side Letter of Agreement with FPOA