San Leandro reports 14.7% vacancy rate under state law; police vacancies exceed 20%

Human Resources Director Emily Hung presented the annual public hearing on vacancies and recruitment required by state law on May 19, reporting that as of April 30 the city had 64.5 vacant full-time equivalent positions out of 439 budgeted FTEs, equal to a 14.7% vacancy rate.

Hung provided a breakdown by bargaining group and department. She told the council the Police Officers Association has 19 vacancies (23.5%) and that HR itself has a high vacancy rate (24.5%) given turnover and internal promotions. Hung said the city completed roughly 100 recruitments in 2024 that produced 38 new hires and 26 promotions from a pool of roughly 5,800 applications.

Why it matters: The report, presented in compliance with the statute cited by staff, is intended to make staffing shortages visible to the public and to provide a record of recruitment and retention strategies. Hung said average time-to-hire ranges from 6–16 weeks for many positions and 3–6 months for police officer recruitments because of extended background checks.

Staff response and council questions: Hung described measures the city has taken to address vacancies including updated job descriptions to allow flexible combinations of experience and education, market-based salary adjustments (including a recent labor contract for police that increased competitiveness), targeted recruitment channels, dedicated HR staff for police recruitments and piloted mentorship and recognition programs to support retention.

Next steps: Council thanked HR for the presentation; members asked whether exit interviews are offered (Hung said exit interviews and questionnaires are offered but voluntary) and whether there are steps the council can take to assist recruitment. Council signaled support for continued efforts to recruit and retain, and staff will continue to provide regular updates as the city advances recruitment and retention strategies.