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Council approves pay increase, signing bonus for police recruits

Becca Costello
/
WVXU

Cincinnati officials hope a pay increase and sign-on bonus will attract enough people to fill the next police recruit class.

Council's Budget and Finance Committee voted unanimously Monday to bump hourly pay from $19.18 to $25; that adds up to $52,000 a year, although the recruit training is only 28 weeks. All nine council members approved the ordinance, which will get a final vote Wednesday.

The ordinance also offers a $2,000 signing bonus for anyone who completes the training, plus another $2,000 bonus for anyone who comes in with police experience from another agency.

"We voted to secure funding for a double recruit class this year, to ensure that the department has what they need to recruit and fill every one of those spots in order to get our complement up," said Council Member Greg Landsman.

Although the funding was there, the recruit class for 50+ new officers that started in August has only 33.

Interim Police Chief Teresa Theetge says the problem is both lack of interest and the rigorous process to get into the class.

"We had 789 people sign up for the test and approximately 480 showed up the day of the test," Theetge said. "We had about 250 that passed the written and the physical agility day-of. And then those start to dwindle as we do background investigations, psychological medicals, all of that."

Theetge says pay isn't the only recruitment barrier — another is disqualifying criteria.

"For example: marijuana usage," she said. "When the Civil Service (Commission) disqualifying criteria for that was written, marijuana was not legally acceptable in some parts of this country. And so now we have to go back and look at that and see what kind of impact is that having on us in our hiring process and how can we work with Civil Service to change that?"

The next recruit class is planned for 35 people starting in May 2023. Testing for that class is set for mid-November.

CPD's sworn complement is 1,059 officers, which the department hasn't reached in years. Cincinnati is projected to be short more than a hundred officers by next summer.

Even then, Cincinnati would have more officers per 100,000 residents compared to neighboring cities like Dayton, Columbus and Indianapolis, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Local Government Reporter with a particular focus on Cincinnati; experienced journalist in public radio and television throughout the Midwest. Enthusiastic about: civic engagement, public libraries, and urban planning.