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West Memphis Police Department proposes retention package

West Memphis Police  Department proposes retention package

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City looks to keep officers on board with incentives

By JOHN RECH

The West Memphis Police Department told its commissioners it is ready. The WMPD conducts its own training academy. Recruits take more schooling and _eld training than the state academy has required. The _nancial investment in new of_cers is great and the department wanted to retain more of_cers longer. To build retention rates police proposed an incentive package during its March Commission meeting.

Assistant Police Chief Robert Langston proposed a retention incentive package during 2020 budget considerations. City Council put it off. Langston reintroduced a revised version during the last meeting of the _rst quarter with city council members.

“We talked about this in budget meetings and we are ready to move forward with it,” said Langston. “I know you wanted more explanation on it.”

The department has turned over 17 of_cers a year for the last _ve years. Turn over has driven recruitment and training academy expenses up. Annual training expense for the department was $366,000 last year. Only a quarter of the department has worked for the WMPD for more than four years.

“It costs us $21,000 to hire and train a new of_cer,” said Langston. “That’s their pay during training and does not include instructor costs. With uniforms it was $417,000 last year.”

Langston presented _gures demonstrating the proposed incentive package costed less than half the new hire training bill. The department could shufe funds from the overtime reimbursements to foot the incentive package bill.

Cost if all eligible of_cers hit all the incentives was projected at $191,000. Funding would come from reimbursements for of_cers duty at Southland, West Memphis School Resource Of_cers, federal task force time, and the Advertising and Promotion commission for its events requiring police.

“We had $259,000 reimbursed back to us last year,” said Langston. “We are on pace this year for $339,000 this year with the changes at Southland and additional federal overtime reimbursement. That money comes back in; that is just how we are wanting to use it.”

Incentive would be paid as of_cers earn certi_cates and accrue time on the job. There were _ve levels of incentives, basic, general, intermediate, advanced and senior categories based on tenure and achievements. Of_cers get an additional $50 a month under the proposal for earning each designated police certi_cation and another $50 for each year of completed college.

The intermediate bonus becomes available after four years on the job in West Memphis with an associate’s degree. The advanced incentive requires a bachelor’s degree and six years on the job. A senior incentive requires nine years with a bachelor’s or six years with a masters degree.

A military track was in the offering as an alternative to college study. Fours years of service with an honorable discharge and military reserve time equated to 120 hours of college under the plan. Of_cers cannot double dip on college and military experience. Langston said it was one or the other.

In all there were 10 total certi_cates earn over time on the four level incentive track.

“The general incentive comes after a little over two years on the job and 960 hours of training or 48 hours of college credit,” said Langston. “They need an addition 400 hours of training after the academy. In reality it will take most of_cers three years to get this one.”

“After a year, if they had a basic certi_cate, they get $50 for that certi_cate,” said Langston. “If they have some college on top of that we give more at 30, 60, 90 or 120 hours of college. At 120 hours that’s the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree.”

Fitness requirements add into the program. Police get a gym membership already. Fitness testing mirrors that established for federal law enforcement with standards set for gender and age on a mile and one half run, pushups and sit-ups. Staying in shape with twice year testing adds another $50 per month to the incentives with a year minimum on the job in the city.

“The _tness test is pretty dif_cult,” said Langston. “You’re not going to be able to pass it and then not exercise and expect to pass it again.”

Langston looked to streamlined operating expenses in the future.

“If we get this then two or three years from now we will see more of_cers staying with us,” said Langston. “It will start making a difference for us.”

”If we get this, then two or three years from now we will see more officers staying with us … It will start making a difference for us.” – West Memphis Assistant Chief of Police on the proposed WMPD retention package

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