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Council approves police recruitment plan with hiring incentives and clawback
Summary
Kingman approved a recruitment and retention strategy for the police department that includes $5,000 hiring incentives for officers with under five years, $7,500 for laterals with more than five years, up to $2,000 relocation assistance, and a 36-month clawback agreement; council requested six-month progress reporting and monthly updates.
The council unanimously approved a recruitment and retention strategy presented by Police Chief Cooper that combines marketing, hiring-process improvements, and financial incentives aimed at reducing vacancies and retaining experienced officers.
Chief Cooper said the plan recognizes market competition and emphasizes both compensation and organizational culture. He outlined incentives structured to be paid in stages: an initial payment at hire, further payments after field training, and final payments upon completion of the probationary period. "If an officer has less than 5 years, what we're proposing before you is they would receive a $5,000 hiring incentive," Cooper said; lateral officers with more than five years would receive $7,500, he added. Relocation assistance would be capped at $2,000, tiered by distance.
The plan includes a required repayment agreement to protect the city's investment if an officer leaves before a 36-month service period. Council members asked for and received commitments for monthly reporting on recruitment metrics and a six-month review to assess progress toward filling six open positions. Chief Cooper said the department currently has six officer openings and that lateral hires reduce training time and cost.
Public speakers including Dr. Rob Christiansen endorsed the department's approach and urged support for recruiting officers with de-escalation and community interaction skills. Council approved the measure by voice vote and directed staff to begin implementing the recruitment materials and incentive program.
Implementation steps include posting incentives publicly, co-ordination with HR for contract language and clawback terms, and monthly updates to council on hiring outcomes.
