Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Police topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
El Segundo council narrows police hiring plan; budget still includes seven new officer positions
Summary
Council members and the police chief debated a proposed increase in sworn staffing. The draft budget includes seven officer positions, but the council asked staff to adopt a budget cap of 67 sworn officers with a limited exception for a candidate in the hiring pipeline.
The El Segundo City Council discussed police staffing levels at length during the May 5 budget study workshop and gave staff guidance to limit near‑term hiring while preserving flexibility for a candidate already in the hiring pipeline.
Staff’s proposed budget includes funding to add seven police officers next year. Chief Bermudez said the department’s staffing study recommended moving toward 72 sworn officers and told council, “72 would be optimal for us to operate efficiently,” but also explained the hiring timeline: new hires can take up to a year from recruitment through academy and field training before they are independent.
Council members raised concerns about the long‑term cost of adding officers — including salary, equipment and pension impacts — and whether the city can afford the higher headcount when the multi‑year forecast shows rising pension costs. During the workshop council participants sought a middle course: keep the adopted baseline headcount at 62 sworn officers but cap the budgeted number at a reduced level while allowing one candidate already deep in the background process to be hired.
City Manager Daryl summarized the direction given at the workshop: staff will present the proposed budget assuming 67 budgeted sworn officers, with a narrow administrative exception to reach 68 if the pending candidate accepts. Paul said he will incorporate that direction when the budget returns for adoption June 3.
The CFO told the council that the personnel and benefit cost for adding the officers is a key budget driver and that retirement and benefit costs — including the $2.9 million UAL payment — are material contributors to future expenditure growth.
Ending: The council stopped short of fully authorizing the department’s request to fund up to 72 sworn officers, instead instructing staff to reflect a modestly lower budgeted headcount for the coming fiscal year while preserving limited flexibility for an exceptional hire in the pipeline.
