By Mike Sunnucks | Rose Law Group Reporter
A Phoenix City Council committee is being briefed today (Sept. 8) on vacant positions within the Phoenix Police Department and potential hiring bonuses and incentives to help fill those jobs.
The Phoenix PD has 459 open positions (247 sworn officers and 212 civilian posts).
The police department has 2,878 officers but has a hiring goal of 3,125 sworn positions.
Police departments — large and small — across the country have been struggling to retain current officers and hire new ones.
Some of that stems from stresses of the jobs coming out of the protests and unrest last year after the killing of George Floyd while in police custody on a Minneapolis sidewalk.
There have also been calls for cuts to police budgets in some cities and changes in laws related to investigations of police shootings and alleged misconduct.
The Phoenix City Council’s Subcommittee on Public Safety and Justice was slated to be updated on the hiring efforts during its meeting Sept. 8.
That includes creation of a $7,500 hiring for new recruits and a $2,500 referral bonus for existing employees who refer candidates.
Those incentives are also being promoted by a new regional advertising and social media campaign.
