NPD plagued by police shortage, offers 65k salary and signing bonuses
(File photo)
NORWICH – The Norwich City Police Department is facing a staffing shortage that's making it nearly impossible for it to run at full capacity.
The department's now operating with six of its 20 positions unfilled, most of which were vacated by officers leaving the NPD for opportunities with agencies in nearby municipalities. Another NPD officer is out with an injury and another still may be leaving the department soon for a position with the New York State Police.
In all, the department is running close to half-capacity, said Police Chief Rodney Marsh, making it another victim of a nationwide trend of police shortages.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that the number of full-time police officers has declined by nearly 23,000 over the past six years. The average number of full-time sworn officers per 1,000 U.S. residents decreased from 2.42 in 1997 to 2.17 in 2016 (down 11 percent).
“It's a challenge,” said Marsh, citing the months-long process it takes from testing to training in order to recruit new officers. “It seems like we're seeing this more and more, but there's a shortage across the whole area. There's such a shortage across the country right now that departments are offering incentives to draw certified officers and it's created a bidding war between agencies.”
The NPD is no different. On Wednesday, Marsh went to the City Council to pitch the idea of a sign-on bonus in hopes of attracting lateral transfers from other agencies. The department's willing to fork out $7,000 to $10,000 and a $65,000 salary to a seasoned officer to join the NPD – something Marsh said would alleviate much of their burden.
The department's offering starting pay at $54,000 trusting that it might be enough to attract new blood. Marsh said he's even considered small changes to longstanding policies, including allowing exposed tattoos and facial hair if it draws qualified applicants.
“The wish is that we could bring in a couple more laterals because they're already trained and already have experience; but that's what every department wants,” he said.
One of the challenges plaguing the NPD is its ability to maintain young officers. The department – as with many small agencies – has a history of police, namely rookies, leaving for better pay, better opportunities, and better chance of advancement with different specialties in urban areas.
Conversely, Norwich is small enough that an officer may live out their entire career as a patrolman.
The staffing shortage is also wreaking havoc on the department's overtime expenses. The NPD's budgeted $1.38 million for personnel expenses for 2019 with just $118,000 available in overtime. Marsh, along with Assistant Chief Scott Burlison, have been picking up the slack to help manage overtime and keep officers from becoming overburdened with desk work.
The bright side is that there's no local shortage of prospects at a time when police nationwide are being heavily rebuked, particularly on social media. The NPD currently had 50-plus applicants signed up to take an entry exam in September. That's on track with numbers the department's traditionally seen in the past, said Marsh. But that doesn't mean the NPD will have 50 viable candidates. Half the people who take the entry exam are typically weeded out right away because they fail the physical portion of which includes a series of sit-ups, push-ups, and a 1.5 mile timed run.
Even in the best case scenario, the NPD won't be fully staffed with autonomous officers until 2021. That's because it doesn't even expect exam results back until winter; and that's followed by seven months in the police academy and, for officers hired, several more months of on-the-job training with an experienced officer before tackling the job on their own.
“This is what we're up against. We're desperate,” Marsh said. “That's a long time for my officers to keep working the overtime and I don't want them to get burned out. As soon as they get burned out, they get tired, they make mistakes, and people get hurt.”
The City Council did approve one lateral hire earlier this week. But to operate at full capacity, Marsh said one or two more would make a world of difference.
In the meantime, city residents don't have reason to worry, he added, though response times aren't as quick.
“Residents are used to having police there in minutes. Now there's a little bit of a wait, but we still have officers out there.”
The department's now operating with six of its 20 positions unfilled, most of which were vacated by officers leaving the NPD for opportunities with agencies in nearby municipalities. Another NPD officer is out with an injury and another still may be leaving the department soon for a position with the New York State Police.
In all, the department is running close to half-capacity, said Police Chief Rodney Marsh, making it another victim of a nationwide trend of police shortages.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that the number of full-time police officers has declined by nearly 23,000 over the past six years. The average number of full-time sworn officers per 1,000 U.S. residents decreased from 2.42 in 1997 to 2.17 in 2016 (down 11 percent).
“It's a challenge,” said Marsh, citing the months-long process it takes from testing to training in order to recruit new officers. “It seems like we're seeing this more and more, but there's a shortage across the whole area. There's such a shortage across the country right now that departments are offering incentives to draw certified officers and it's created a bidding war between agencies.”
The NPD is no different. On Wednesday, Marsh went to the City Council to pitch the idea of a sign-on bonus in hopes of attracting lateral transfers from other agencies. The department's willing to fork out $7,000 to $10,000 and a $65,000 salary to a seasoned officer to join the NPD – something Marsh said would alleviate much of their burden.
The department's offering starting pay at $54,000 trusting that it might be enough to attract new blood. Marsh said he's even considered small changes to longstanding policies, including allowing exposed tattoos and facial hair if it draws qualified applicants.
“The wish is that we could bring in a couple more laterals because they're already trained and already have experience; but that's what every department wants,” he said.
One of the challenges plaguing the NPD is its ability to maintain young officers. The department – as with many small agencies – has a history of police, namely rookies, leaving for better pay, better opportunities, and better chance of advancement with different specialties in urban areas.
Conversely, Norwich is small enough that an officer may live out their entire career as a patrolman.
The staffing shortage is also wreaking havoc on the department's overtime expenses. The NPD's budgeted $1.38 million for personnel expenses for 2019 with just $118,000 available in overtime. Marsh, along with Assistant Chief Scott Burlison, have been picking up the slack to help manage overtime and keep officers from becoming overburdened with desk work.
The bright side is that there's no local shortage of prospects at a time when police nationwide are being heavily rebuked, particularly on social media. The NPD currently had 50-plus applicants signed up to take an entry exam in September. That's on track with numbers the department's traditionally seen in the past, said Marsh. But that doesn't mean the NPD will have 50 viable candidates. Half the people who take the entry exam are typically weeded out right away because they fail the physical portion of which includes a series of sit-ups, push-ups, and a 1.5 mile timed run.
Even in the best case scenario, the NPD won't be fully staffed with autonomous officers until 2021. That's because it doesn't even expect exam results back until winter; and that's followed by seven months in the police academy and, for officers hired, several more months of on-the-job training with an experienced officer before tackling the job on their own.
“This is what we're up against. We're desperate,” Marsh said. “That's a long time for my officers to keep working the overtime and I don't want them to get burned out. As soon as they get burned out, they get tired, they make mistakes, and people get hurt.”
The City Council did approve one lateral hire earlier this week. But to operate at full capacity, Marsh said one or two more would make a world of difference.
In the meantime, city residents don't have reason to worry, he added, though response times aren't as quick.
“Residents are used to having police there in minutes. Now there's a little bit of a wait, but we still have officers out there.”
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