The Los Angeles Police Department’s union, representing officers, detectives, sergeants, and lieutenants, has officially ratified a four-year contract with the city of Los Angeles. This contract specifically addresses concerns surrounding the recruitment and retention of officers.
In a statement, the Los Angeles Protective Police League’s Board of Directors expressed their satisfaction with the contract’s approval. They stated, “Our members have ratified a four-year contract with an overwhelming majority. This contract focuses on providing raises to retain our current officers and attract qualified candidates to join the police academy. We are dedicated to collaborating with Mayor Karen Bass, Police Chief Michel Moore, and the City Council to rebuild the LAPD and enhance public safety in Los Angeles.”
Furthermore, they emphasized their commitment to implementing unarmed response initiatives in collaboration with the mayor, council, and chief. These initiatives aim to redirect police officers’ efforts towards actual police work.
The contract includes a series of raises and benefits. Over the four-year period, there will be a 6% raise in the first year, a 4% raise in the second year, and 5% raises in both the third and fourth years. Additionally, it includes improved healthcare benefits and patrol incentives.
Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged the hiring and retention crisis within the LAPD and praised the contract as a long-term strategy to address these issues. She stated, “Like many major cities across America, our police department is facing challenges in hiring and retaining officers. This four-year contract will serve as a foundation for our efforts to retain LAPD officers and rebuild and expand the department.”
Before the contract can be finalized, it must receive approval from the Los Angeles City Council.
The initial agreement between Bass and LAPPL was announced on August 1. The proposal aimed to increase the starting base salary of all officers by 11% and provide an additional 3% increase annually throughout the duration of the contract. The proposal also introduced retention pay incentives to encourage officers to remain in the LAPD for the long term.
Mayor Bass’s primary focus is ensuring the safety of Angelenos. She explained, “In April, I presented a budget to address concerns within the Los Angeles Police Department and make investments in hiring more police officers, expediting the hiring process, and improving retention.”
The LAPD has witnessed a decline in staffing of over 1,000 officers since the beginning of 2020, with an expectation of losing hundreds more due to retirements and resignations. According to the mayor’s office, more than 430 officers have left the LAPD within their first year and a half of service, with a significant number joining other agencies before completing ten years of service.
Negotiations between the LAPPL and city officials were conducted with mutual respect, emphasizing the shared importance of officer retention and recruitment.
Sergeant Jerretta Sandoz, the LAPPL’s vice president, expressed her support for Mayor Bass’s proposal, stating, “Our rank-and-file officers deserve these increases and improvements as we work towards rebuilding our staffing levels after losing over 1,000 officers.”
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
