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Menlo Park council approves targeted police hiring and retention incentive program
Summary
The Menlo Park City Council on Dec. 16 approved a side letter to the police MOU creating a two-tier incentive program intended to fill vacancies: $10,000 for police academy graduates (paid in two milestones) and up to $40,000 for lateral hires paid over four years. The program is funded from salary savings and will be evaluated annually.
The Menlo Park City Council voted Dec. 16 to adopt a side letter agreement with the Menlo Park Police Officers Association establishing a police hiring and retention incentive program aimed at addressing persistent vacancies in sworn ranks.
Human Resources Manager Charlotte Freckman told the council the program has two tiers: a police academy graduate tier with a $10,000 total incentive (paid $5,000 after Field Training Officer completion and $5,000 after a one-year milestone) and a lateral officer tier with $40,000 available in staged payments (including $10,000 in the first paycheck and additional payments tied to one-, two-, three- and four-year milestones).
Freckman said candidates the city sponsored through the academy are ineligible for the incentive, and payments under the program are “not pensionable” under CalPERS rules and operate on a forfeiture model if milestones are unmet. She said the program’s effective date is Feb. 25, 2025, and it automatically sunsets with the current POA MOU on Aug. 31, 2027 unless extended.
Councilmembers asked staff how success would be measured. Freckman and staff said evaluations will include changes in vacancy rates, whether positions are filled, time to onboard and operational impacts; Human Resources and the Police Department will review the program at least annually and report back. The program is intended to be cost-neutral for fiscal year 2025–26 and funded from salary savings in vacant positions.
Councilmember Drew Combs moved the resolution and Councilmember Jennifer Schmidt seconded. The council approved the side letter by roll call vote with Combs, Schmidt, Vice Mayor Jennifer Wise and Mayor Betsy Nash voting yes; Councilmember Cecilia Taylor was absent for the final roll call.
The council directed staff to publicly report program results as part of the annual vacancy report next May, after which the City Manager may recommend continuing, suspending, or budgeting to extend the program.
