In a recent government meeting, council members discussed the ongoing challenges and strategies related to recruitment and retention within the police department. The dialogue highlighted a notable decline in applicant numbers from July to August, although August still recorded the third highest number of applicants in the past four years, indicating a positive trend overall since April 2022.

Deputy Mayor emphasized the importance of hiring incentives, noting that the increase in applicants correlates with the introduction of these incentives. The council is considering raising the recruitment incentive for lateral officers from $30,000 to $50,000, a move aimed at enhancing competitiveness in the regional job market. This adjustment is based on the understanding that experienced lateral officers can be hired and trained more quickly, thus becoming effective in their roles sooner.

The council also addressed the structure of the incentive's clawback period, which retains a five-year duration but will now be prorated based on the number of years following the receipt of the bonus. This approach aims to align with practices in other jurisdictions, where clawback periods vary from one to three years.

Overall, the discussions reflect a proactive approach to addressing recruitment challenges while ensuring that the police department remains competitive in attracting qualified candidates.