Freeport — Police leadership presented a staffing and compensation package at the council’s special meeting, saying the department faces chronic vacancies and growing overtime that threaten service levels.

Chief presentation: The police chief told council the department currently faces a shortfall of several sworn positions and begins each fiscal year with an overtime deficit because holiday pay and event coverage push officers over overtime thresholds. The chief said local agencies are competing aggressively for recruits and that Freeport has fallen “several dollars behind” neighboring departments; he requested a 5.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to be applied across the pay matrix to slow turnover.

Recruitment and retention proposals: The department proposed a three-part recruitment/retention package: a $5,000 hiring incentive paid in stages (entry $1,000; mid-term installments at year one and year two), academy-tuition reimbursement up to $5,000 with staged repayment or service requirements, and a redesign of the pay matrix to create clearer career steps. The chief provided a departmental cost estimate showing replacement of a single officer can cost roughly $30,000 (hiring, training, overtime during vacancy), and said retention is less expensive than repeated hiring.

Association and staff remarks: Kevin Harris, speaking earlier on behalf of the Freeport Police Officers Association, outlined recruitment and retention concerns and urged funding for overtime and competitive adjustments. Association officers—including Sergeant Willard, Corporal Miller and Corporal Curtis—attended the meeting. Association leaders said most sworn personnel participate in the association and that near-term incentives will affect the city’s ability to keep officers.

Council response and process steps: Council members expressed sympathy for the department’s position and asked staff for cost/priority trade-offs to fit increases into a limited budget. Several members said they supported pursuing staged incentives (sign-on or academy reimbursement) while asking staff to return with exact line-item costs and suggested contract/grant opportunities for training funds. A council member proposed contract-like retention language for funded certifications to protect the city’s investment.

Ending: Council did not adopt compensation changes at the meeting; members asked staff to return with draft policy language for academy reimbursement and sign-on payouts, and to outline fiscal impacts for the final budget vote.