Seattle may soon offer signing bonuses to recruit cops

The Seattle City Council could vote on the proposal this week.

The Seattle Police Department lost more officers than it gained last year.

Now a City Council committee has voted to approve Mayor Jenny Durkan's proposal that the city offer up to $15,000 to experienced officers who transfer in, and up to half that for new recruits.

Rich O'Neill is the spokesman for the Seattle Police Officers Guild.

"It is refreshing and it’s a good thing that the city has now come around to acknowledge and recognize our staffing problems and to take these steps," he said. He said a large department like Seattle did not historically need to offer incentives like other agencies, because it had inducements like specialty units and room to advance.

O’Neill said Seattle has lost officers due to a tight labor market, long contract negotiations, and officers' perceptions that they are not supported by city leaders. He said exit interviews with officers reflect that.

“It’s my hope that that data will be gathered and analyzed, because we can offer bonuses, and it’s great that we’re doing that, but we need to stop people from leaving," he said.

Seattle City Councilmember Lorena González said she expects the council to vote on the measure by March 11. She said she's trying to craft language that would require officers who receive bonuses to commit to staying with SPD for a certain length of time.

González attributed the lack of applicants to the difficulty in reaching new labor agreements.

“We were paying 2014 wages in 2018, and that, from a basic economic perspective, is going to play a role in someone’s decision as to whether they work for the Seattle Police Department or the Bellevue Police Department," she said.

The city may require officers who get bonuses to commit to remaining with SPD for a certain length of time.

Military veterans have been a traditional source of police recruits. SPD recently joined the U.S. Army's Partnership for Youth Success, which helps soldiers connect with new employers.

Seattle's Community Police Commission has urged SPD to seek candidates from diverse communities and "more explicitly seek candidates with communication skills, cultural knowledge, and a capacity for creative problem solving."

The commission recommended that SPD also offer a financial incentive to officers who are bilingual and would use those language skills on the job.

Detective Carrie McNally heads up SPD’s recruitment efforts. She told the City Council that police officers attend up to 30 community events each year to encourage people to consider the job.

“We bring along gear and things like that so people can put their kids in vests and get them excited about us engaging with them and getting to know us,” she said.

McNally said upcoming events include one held by Seattle’s Iranian community, and a women’s show.