Bloomsburg council weighs $10,000 hiring incentive for police officers; motion fails 2–5

Bloomsburg's police chief proposed a $10,000 hiring incentive per newly hired officer — $4,000 after the first year, $3,000 after year two and $3,000 after year three — as a way to attract candidates and reduce overtime pressures created by vacancies.

The chief told the council the department currently has two vacancies and faces retirements that could leave it short-staffed, producing more overtime, fatigue and scheduling strain. "I'm proposing that we do a $10,000 hiring incentive to try to improve our recruiting and see if we can get some applicants to come to the town of Bloomsburg," the chief said during the meeting.

Supporters argued the money already budgeted for police wages could be used more effectively to recruit officers and that other municipalities have offered similar incentives. Opponents and some council members cautioned that the town lacked evidence the incentive would reliably increase applicant pools and raised concerns about contract negotiations with the police union and the potential for contentious bargaining over pay parity.

Council members also discussed alternatives, including tuition reimbursement or sending candidates to the police academy directly, internship and college outreach, and using grant programs to defray academy costs. Town staff noted that sending recruits to the academy can take staff off the schedule for months and that academy costs and stipend approaches vary by program.

The council debated recoverability of incentive payments. According to the discussion on the record, town counsel and staff advised that recovering a direct cash payment after it is made can be legally difficult under state and federal labor rules; staff summarized that once a payment is disbursed it is generally hard to demand repayment.

After extended discussion and a motion to adopt the $10,000 hiring incentive as proposed (moved and seconded on the record), the council conducted a voice vote. The outcome was recorded in the meeting as 2–5 (two in favor, five opposed), and the motion did not pass.

Next steps mentioned at the meeting included outreach to the police union for feedback, targeted recruitment efforts (including outreach to local colleges and internship programs), and exploring academy reimbursement or partial grant-supported training as alternatives to a direct hiring incentive.

Actions: A motion to adopt a $10,000 hiring incentive (paid 4k/3k/3k across three years) was moved and seconded; the recorded voice vote was 2 yes, 5 no (motion failed).