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Police chief cites recruiting and retention squeeze; council considers take‑home vehicles and sign‑on bonuses
Summary
City police leaders told the council they have one vacancy open since September and fewer than a dozen applicants; staff said take‑home squad cars and sign‑on bonuses are being used elsewhere and merit further study as lower‑cost retention tools.
The Isanti City Police chief told the council the department has struggled to recruit and retain officers and asked the council to consider policy changes including limited take‑home squad vehicles and sign‑on bonuses to improve hiring and retention.
Why it matters: The city has had the current vacancy since September, and staff said low application numbers risk stretching the remaining officers’ workloads. Council members and staff discussed whether non‑salary benefits such as take‑home vehicles could reduce turnover and whether sign‑on bonuses would be an effective alternative.
The chief said the pool of candidates statewide has shrunk and that the department has had roughly 11 applicants since September; one promising candidate withdrew after learning neighboring agencies allow take‑home vehicles. “Do you have take‑home vehicles?” was the single question that candidate raised, the chief said. The chief noted nearly all current officers live within five miles of the city and that the department has enough vehicles to offer the benefit to many current staff if the council chose to do so.
Human resources staff member Miss Brooks told the council that since September the department has received 11 applications and that eight applicants asked specifically about take‑home vehicles; she said three people said the availability of a take‑home vehicle would determine whether they applied. Brooks added that at the time of posting there were about 14 open positions in the state that listed take‑home squads as a perk and that other agencies are offering sign‑on bonuses that range roughly from $2,000 to $10,000.
Council discussion focused on tradeoffs. Staff said the cost of providing take‑home cars is difficult to quantify exactly because some costs are implicit (maintenance, fuel, mileage reimbursement policies), but departments that allow take‑home cars have reported improved vehicle care and time savings for officers. The chief said officers now commonly arrive early and spend roughly 40–45 minutes prepping a squad car before a shift; a take‑home car reduces that unpaid prep time.
Council members asked staff to analyze options including limited eligibility (for example, take‑home for officers who live within a set mileage), mileage or fuel reimbursement policies and possible sign‑on bonus amounts. No formal pay increases or take‑home vehicle policy was adopted at the meeting.
The council voted to recess to continue discussion after the Planning Commission item: Council Member Holmgren moved to recess; Council Member Peterson seconded. The motion carried 5‑0.
