Now more than any time in the recent past, the recruitment of Police Officers has become highly competitive as law enforcement agencies throughout southern California are competing for the same applicants, especially for pre-service police academy recruits. Although the Police Department and the City's Human Resources Division continue to proactively seek a large pool of pre-service candidates, another way to address applicant shortages and find a competitive advantage is to seek Lateral Police Officer applicants. These are current police officers at other law enforcement agencies who may be interested in seeking employment at a different agency. Often, lateral police officers are seeking new opportunities or may wish to re-locate for various reasons. Lateral Police Officers bring training and experience, and can be deployed into the field much more quickly than Police Recruits. They can also bring experience balance to the department.
In order to increase the City's attractiveness to potential Lateral Police Officers, the Police Department and the City's Human Resources Division have worked together to develop a pilot program to provide new Lateral Police Officers with a recruitment bonus. New Lateral Police Officers hired by the City after this program's approval by City Council will be eligible for a $12,000 bonus, paid in two installments. The first $6,000 would be paid upon hire, and the second $6,000 would be paid upon successful completion of the required one-year probationary employment period.
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