Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced Friday morning a tentative five-year agreement with the San Diego Police Officers Association on recruiting and retention.
City officials hope the deal will stem the flood of officers leaving the department for better wages at nearby law enforcement agencies.
The announcement came at a 10 a.m. press conference at police headquarters downtown.
The tentative agreement establishes a pay increase of approximately 6.6 percent over five years and complies with Proposition B’s freeze on pensionable pay. The package is structured to focus on incentive-based increases and is geared toward officers who reached specific experience requirements.
“I promised San Diego residents that I would protect our neighborhoods and rebuild our shrinking police department. This fair agreement does that, giving us more tools to recruit and retain a diverse, well-trained and experienced police force,” Mayor Faulconer said.
The total cost of the contract extension is approximately $92 million over five years, with new costs of $62 million, largely driven by a restoration of holiday pay and an increase in healthcare, equipment and uniform allowance, with specific incentives for experienced officers and an equipment allowance for new recruits.
“This is an important milestone for our police department,” said Brian Marvel, President of the police association. “For years, our officers have been leaving our department at an alarming rate for greener pastures. With this new agreement, Mayor Faulconer has taken a great step to reverse more than a decade of neglect.”
