Police Forces, Their Ranks Thin, Offer Bonuses, Bounties and More

[MisterK]

SEATTLE, Dec. 26 - Among the depleted ranks of police departments throughout the country, it has come to this: desperate want ads offering signing bonuses to new recruits, and cops paying other cops to find new cops.

Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times
Police recruits going through training in crowd control tactics Tuesday at the San Diego Police Academy. San Diego County is one of several municipalities offering incentives to lure new officers.
It seems nobody wants to be a police officer anymore, officials say. As a result, departments are taking a page from recruiters in sports and the corporate world. Here in King County, the most populous in the Pacific Northwest, the Sheriff's Office is trying a kind of bounty hunting: any deputy who can bring in someone who eventually becomes an officer will get a bonus of 40 hours of extra vacation time, worth up to $1,300.

"This job used to be more enticing, and we didn't have to do a lot of marketing," said Sheriff's Deputy Jessica Cline, the chief recruiter for the King County force. "Over time, it's become less attractive. We needed to do something."

But it is a competitive world out there among police recruiters. San Diego County, for instance, has already gone King County one better. "Put a star in your future - now offering a signing bonus of up to $5,000," goes the Web advertisement for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

In a generation's time, the job of an American police officer, previously among the most sought-after by people with little college background, has become one that in many communities now goes begging. Experts find that the life has little appeal among young people, and those who might be attracted to it are frequently lured instead by aggressive counteroffers from the military. The problem is compounded by better pay at entry-level jobs in the private sector, where employment opportunities have recently brightened.

The resulting shortage of new officers, says Elaine Deck, who tracks recruitment matters for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, is the top concern among issues facing law enforcement across the country. Nearly every police department at a recent statewide meeting in California reported being at least 10 percent short of the officers it needed. The Los Angeles Police Department has about 700 officers fewer than its full complement of 10,000, says Cmdr. Kenny Garner, who oversees recruiting there.

"When I started out in the 1970's, there were lines around the block of people waiting to take the police test, and I had to sleep overnight in an elementary school to get my place," Commander Garner said. "It's not an easy sell anymore."

Similarly, the test to join King County's ranks now draws only a small fraction of the 3,000 who used to take it.

In the face of developments like those, police agencies have tried a variety of enticements.

"Walk-ins accepted for immediate testing!" says an advertisement from the Los Angeles police force, which at one point sent recruiters to Florida to troll for prospective officers among college students lying on the beach during spring break.

There, Fort Lauderdale's come-on for police academy prospects says "no maximum age," along with "up to five weeks' vacation."

The New York Police Department recently placed advertisements in newspapers in and around Buffalo, part of a broad sweep to find recruits in the economically depressed upstate region.

Many cities have raised salaries well above the rate of inflation and are offering benefits like discount mortgages. Lexington, Ky., will give new officers up to $7,400 for a down payment on a home.

The Los Angeles police are offering $500 to any city employee who can bring in a police recruit who makes it through the academy, and another $500 if the prospect becomes a sworn officer. But the bonus, along with recruit inducements that include a retirement payment of $250,000 after 20 years in addition to a pension, has yet to turn the tide.

"We're trying to cook up some other things so we can get back in the game," Commander Garner said, in a bow to the competition.

The pay in most departments remains competitive with that in other jobs that do not necessarily require a college degree. A rookie officer in Los Angeles will start at $51,000 a year - certainly better than the starting salary for many teachers, of whom a degree is demanded. Police jobs also typically come with comfortable vacation, health care and retirement packages.

Further, most height and weight restrictions have been thrown out at major police departments, after lawsuits challenging them on grounds of gender and race. As for strength and stamina, a recruit in King County need be able to do only 30 situps in a minute and run a mile and a half in less than 14 minutes 31 seconds. "You don't have to be Superman," said Sheriff's Deputy Kurt Lange, a 14-year veteran of King County, where the vacation bonus has led deputies to start recruiting on their own, looking for friends, relatives or just casual acquaintances who might want to wear a badge.

But whatever the attractions to the job, a powerful constraint is working against them, experts say.

"The people we are now trying to recruit look at life and jobs in a very different way than baby boomers do," said Ms. Deck, of the police chiefs association. "People used to live to work. This younger generation works to live. Working late, working weekends, that's not attractive. They want to make money and retire early."

Then there is the competition from the armed services. At some military bases, commanders will not even allow police recruiters on the grounds, for fear that they will steal troops who might otherwise re-enlist, said Lt. Mike Barletta of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

King County has been sending recruiters to distant cities, where they scour job fairs, employment offices and even other police departments to find new people to wear the sheriff's uniform.

"We went to Houston, made a presentation after their roll call, spent eight days in the city, and at the end of it all we got was only one new officer out of it - and he didn't last," said Detective Robert Burrows, who does recruitment screening at the King County Sheriff's Office.

What proved to be a bidding war of sorts between King County and San Diego County broke out this year when the sheriff's office here bought radio advertisements and sent recruiters south. The selling point was that houses are cheaper in the Pacific Northwest than in Southern California.

"We sell the lifestyle, and the cost of living, less crime, the mountains," said Deputy Cline, the chief recruiter for King County. "And in turn, we're looking for diversity, for someone with good people skills, someone who can go from a missing-child call to a bar fight."

San Diego countered by describing the Seattle area as a damp, cold outpost far from the beaches of Southern California.

"We say, 'Would you rather live in Washington State, where it's gloomy and gray, or live here with the sunshine and beaches?' " Lieutenant Barletta said. "Our biggest obstacle is housing prices. Young people can't afford to buy a home here."

To help with housing costs, San Diego started a Cop Next Door program, arranging with certain lenders to offer discount home loans to officers willing to live in less desirable neighborhoods. But the program has yet to show much promise, Lieutenant Barletta said.

"We've got all the sunshine anyone could want," he said, "but not enough officers. It's been bad for some time, but it's getting worse."


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[cntryboy0531]

Yup, they are having big recruiting drives in Florida here. My agency will be reimbursing me the cost of going to the academy, and gives us bonuses for recruiting somone that becomes a Deputy or Detention Deputy.

[MrMisterSU]

Its funny, I keep hearing about the department shortages across the nation, but then why dont these seem to have any affect on some of my local agencies!? Some of the ones Ive been eyeing have the "Not hiring at this time" or "Only hiring certified officers with so much experience".... us new guys gotta start somewhere! :p

Perhaps I should start thinking about moving :eek: .

[K-9MALY]

That is why I left San Diego in 2000, the cost of living was beyond retarded. I went to El Cracko , Texas where I was dumbfounded at how much extra money I had each payday after paying all the bills. What good is the job if the average home is in the $300,000.00 range? When I started, the salary out of the academy for a rookie Deputy was $32,500.00 before taxes. The SDPD made about $40,000 upon entry. You can keep the weather and beaches if you charge that much to live there and enjoy it!:p

[FSCF3801]

You can keep the weather and beaches if you charge that much to live there and enjoy it!

Hence that is why you are in Buffalo huh......







:D :p

[K-9MALY]

Buffalo is cheap to live actually. Its the county taxes that kill you. My house would cost about half a million in San Diego, but doesn't fetch 100k here.
I have been mocking the snow gods today so we should get a big storm any minute now!:D

[aussie1]

They could recruit overseas. I would consider moving if the package was good enough and the agency was half decent. The experience for me would be worth the move....

[APDSarge]

They could recruit overseas. I would consider moving if the package was good enough and the agency was half decent. The experience for me would be worth the move....

Sorry but nearly every agency requires US citizenship.

And Florida IS hiring like crazy, just about throughout the state, at all levels. (municipal, sheriff's offices, and the state)

[cntryboy0531]

And Florida IS hiring like crazy, just about throughout the state, at all levels. (municipal, sheriff's offices, and the state)

Uh huh. :D :D

[Redman]

Its funny, I keep hearing about the department shortages across the nation, but then why dont these seem to have any affect on some of my local agencies!? Some of the ones Ive been eyeing have the "Not hiring at this time" or "Only hiring certified officers with so much experience".... us new guys gotta start somewhere!

Perhaps I should start thinking about moving :eek: .

It's the same way here. I keep hearing about all these recruiting wars but why aren't they in my area? :(

[aussie1]

Sorry but nearly every agency requires US citizenship.

And Florida IS hiring like crazy, just about throughout the state, at all levels. (municipal, sheriff's offices, and the state)

I know this already, but as with most things, when the demand cannot be filled by suitably qualified people (IE US Citizens), why not look elsewhere for skilled staff.

I know I would rather work alongside a skilled foreigner than a moronic citizen that could only make the grade once entry levels were dropped. Unfortunately this is what has happened here.....

We have no entry exam, no interview. Our entry process is simply, send in an application form. Recruitment will send you a package and you have medical and hearing tests completed and payed for by yourself. They call you up a few weeks later and do a "Phone Interview" and then you wait for the paperwork to come with your start date at the academy. This poor process is the reason for such a high attrition rate in my department.

But, if you can speak with your bosses and let them know that I am happy to come over there and assist you guys, but I need my expenses paid, a nice waterfront townhouse, one of those Hummers and a personal assistant. I am sure they will all jump at the chance so please dont all swamp me at once with your offers.

[Welpe]

When I was in the LA area, I kept seeing LA County Sheriff recruiting billboards. In addition to that, I know that some So Cal agencies are offering hiring bonuses. It's too bad there's so much smog in the LA area, not to mention traffic congestion. I think I'd go crazy commuting to work down there.

[hutchins]

The odds look pretty good for those of us who want to become police officers. That is if you're physically fit and not crazy. That takes out a lot of people in my CJ classes.

[BP348]

I got the job offer I was dreaming about last August!! Finally got the call for an 1811 spot with ICE. Had to turn it down because the job offer was for LA. How can anyone live in So. Cali on $50,000? The typical house there is like $4000,000 what would that make your house payment? $2,500 a month?? That's crazy!! Plus there was no way I was taking my family to live there. Hope I get a better location next time. Hope there is a next time :D

[Granite]

I had a very tough time getting on up north where I am from. After a few years of doing good on written and physical tests and then not getting invited to the oral board interviews after paying 100 bucks to take the test (scam). I called it quits and applied down south when visiting a friend and within 3 or 4 months I was offered a job after passing everything. I am coming up on 2 years in a few months with this dept. Now I have the experiance with a big dept that I can probably get a job anywhere. I had to make a sacrifice and leave my family and friends to move half way across the country but it was worth it. I am at the point now that I can lateral anywhere and I will have enough time on to apply with the State Troopers up north which is something I have always been interested in doing. Its funny everywhere else seems to be hiring LEO's except the NewEngland area.