BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Bakersfield Police Department spent years trying to fill its ranks. Now, the fight is to keep them filled.
Bakersfield Police Chief Brent Stratton says officers are leaving faster than usual, with many heading to other law enforcement agencies.
"Normally we're adding 50 or so and losing about 25, so I'm gaining about 25 a year. This year, losing 50," Stratton said.
BPD briefly hit full staffing earlier this year by hiring ahead of expected losses. Now, Stratton says experienced officers have more choices about where to go next.
"I think what's happening within our industry is that we have a little bit of a supply and demand issue throughout the state of California. I think there is a shortage of supply overall of police officers, and I think there's a high demand," Stratton said.
That competition is playing out across Kern County. Shafter Police Chief Randy Milligan says more BPD officers are applying than in years past, reversing a trend that once saw Shafter officers leave for Bakersfield. Shafter is now fully staffed, with about 10 people waiting for an opening.
Delano is competing for experienced officers too, hiring four laterals from neighboring agencies this past year, including one from BPD. The department is offering a $15,000 hiring bonus, a three-12 schedule and additional incentive pay.
"You're seeing other cities that are ponying up big dollars, and you're seeing police officers who have the ability to choose. They're free agents, really, and able to choose where they want to go," Stratton said.
Milligan says some officers are looking for something different, including more time for proactive policing and community engagement. And with departments offering different incentives and opportunities, Stratton says experienced officers have more choices than they once did.
"I think pay is a thing, right? It's how we all provide for our families. But if that's exclusively all that it's about... I think there's probably a lot of places that might be able to pay you more," Stratton said.
Stratton explains that pay matters, but so do schedules, workload and the work environment. For now, he says there's no single fix; and BPD is still working to figure out what needs to change to keep its officers from walking out the door.
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