A US mayor has announced a $25,000 signing bonus for anyone who signs up for a job as a police officer, as the city struggles to fill hundreds of ranks.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced the launch of the incentive measure earlier this year in his State of the City address, hoping to address the city’s police shortage.
Starting with this year’s 213th class of recruits, all new recruits will receive the bonus if they serve the police for three years.
According to a data analysis by the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, the Honolulu Police Department has lost 589 officers and hired only 274 new recruits, resulting in a loss of 315 officers between 2020 and 2023.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced the launch of the incentive in his State of the City address earlier this year, in hopes of addressing the city’s officer shortage.
During his speech, Mayor Blangiardi described the incentive as an “attempt to attract young people” during his speech in March 2024.
“We realize it’s a difficult decision. I wanted to make sure that our police department had every possible tool that they could in their recruitment efforts because that’s what it takes to try to entice some young people to join our police department,” he said.
A month after the stimulus measure was announced, the department received 247 applications, compared to 153 in April 2023.
But union officials say increasing hiring through incentives is not enough to make up for the shortages. to fill the huge number of vacancies within the department.
Jonathan Frye, president of the Honolulu police union, explained that despite the large number of applications, it is expected that some will be rejected because they do not meet the minimum requirements.
But union officials say increasing hiring through incentives is not enough to offset the department’s staggering number of vacancies. (Stock photo)
He also estimated that about a third of those who attend the police academy for training will drop out before graduating.
The Chairman believes that the loss of officials is likely due to the expiry of the negotiating contract.
He said it is common for people eligible for retirement to retire at the end of their contracts and that the department can lose an average of 140 to 150 officers a year.
“It wasn’t uncommon to hear, especially the older, more senior officers, say, ‘Hey, make sure you work for 32 years, make sure you get that nice pension. It’s a great place to be, you’re going to love it.’
“But you don’t hear that kind of talk as much anymore. And so anecdotally, you hear more and more officers saying, ‘You know what? I’m going to get my 25 years and then I’m out,'” Frye said. Associated Press.
A month after the stimulus was announced, the department received 247 applications, compared to 153 in April 2023
According to Jack Rinchich, president of the United States Law Enforcement Foundation, the department should also focus on retention rather than just recruitment incentives.
“Every time a seasoned officer leaves, no matter how many you hire, you cannot replace the skills and expertise that are within them.
“If you lose those senior officers, you can take their place, but you bring in someone who is not as experienced,” he explained.
In the past year alone, the department lost 143 sworn officers, with 68 retiring, 35 resigning permanently, 23 resigning on “probable” status, one dying in the line of duty, and the remaining officers leaving for reasons including resignation and termination.