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Nos. 15-17 <br />Memorandum <br />TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem & City Council <br />FROM: Grayson Path, City Manager <br />Richard Salter, Chief of Police <br />SUBJECT: Police Compensation / Recruitment / Retention <br />DATE: February 13, 2023 <br />F-INUOKOWT41110I <br />For several years, the Paris Police Department has struggled to maintain staffing. Due to a number <br />of national and local factors, it is challenging to find qualified individuals to serve as police <br />officers. Despite our constant efforts to advertise and recruit, we are currently down approximately <br />17 police officers, which represents nearly 50% of our front line force. While we have managed <br />to maintain absolute minimum numbers for shifts, further vacancies as well as burn out are serious <br />concerns. In addition, due to the regulations under civil service, the speed at which we have a <br />vacancy occur is very lopsided as compared to the time it takes to refill that position (this will be <br />illustrated later in this memo). <br />Beginning in FY21/22, we began a two-year approach to adjusting pay within the department as <br />compared to similar communities. This was part of the city-wide pay study. While this was very <br />helpful, we have come to realize the importance of comparing to more immediate competition <br />within our own county. Local competition consists of the Lamar County Sheriff Office as well as <br />four ISDs. We have lost a fair number of officers to these entities recently. While the City is heavily <br />regulated by civil service, they are not civil service entities which gives them greater ease, speed <br />and flexibility to adjust and respond to staffing issues. Given the qualifications to work for any of <br />these entities are virtually equivalent to those of our own, transferring is relatively easy. And when <br />compensation and job duties are compared, some are making the decision to move. <br />STATUS OF ISSUE: <br />As the PPD is down about 17 officer positions at this time, and given our recent several attempts <br />to recruit and hire officers through our civil service testing have not fared well, and in order to try <br />and reverse the course we are on and build our department back up, management believes it is time <br />