The San Diego City Council has unanimously approved a landmark agreement with the Police Officers Association (POA) to increase salary for police officers up to 30.6 percent amid the city's significant police staffing crisis.
This year, San Diego police had the lowest employment numbers since 1989.
In October, Mayor Kevin Faulconer negotiated a two-year agreement with the San Diego POA to increase salaries for officers with SDPD, in an effort to improve retention and recruitment.
SDPD has struggled to hire new recruits and keep officers on the force, mostly due to other law enforcement agencies offering a competitive salary, according to the city.
Salaries for San Diego police officers currently rank near the bottom in comparison to 18 other law enforcement agencies in California, which includes Los Angeles, Anaheim, Sacramento, San Francisco and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the city says.
"This contract is all about keeping our neighborhoods safe and secure," Faulconer said. "This strengthens our ability to attract new recruits and retain our most experienced police officers. Having more cops on the beat will help strengthen our community policing approach and ensure San Diegans continue to live in one of the safest big cities in the country. I applaud the City Council for supporting this contract and for making public safety a top priority."
Depending on the number of years they have served in the force, officers will receive cumulative increases totaling 25.6 to 30.6 percent over the two-year agreement.
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The city says the first set of compensation will begin on July 1, 2018.
