CLEVELAND — Cleveland will nearly double pay for cadets enrolled in its police academy as part of a new effort to recruit police officers.
"We are in a war for talent right now across the country when it comes to law enforcement," Mayor Justin Bibb said.
Bibb announced pay for cadets will increase from $14 per hour to $24 per hour during a news conference at city hall Wednesday morning.
New recruits will also receive a $5,000 signing bonus after completing their probationary period, he said.
The city is also offering an incentive to individuals with college degrees or military service, which amounts to an additional $3,700 during their first year of employment, as well as reimbursement of costs for recruits who completed OPATA training at Tri-C.
"Today is a positive milestone for the city and shows positive progress to addressing our recruitment challenges," Bibb said.
The announcement followed negotiations between the city and members of two police unions during the city's first Public Safety Summit.
Jeff Follmer, President of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, which represents the city's patrol officers, worked with city officials to create the new recruitment incentives.
Follmer said the city has struggled to recruit new officers for several years.
"It's disappointing every time we get a recruitment class in there, and there's only 8,10,12,15 people in there," he said. "My position and our position is that this is a great step towards trying to get officers into the City of Cleveland."
The announcement comes as Cleveland also struggles to retain police officers.
A police spokesperson confirmed four of 13 cadets resigned from the city's 154th police class Tuesday.
Councilman Mike Polensek said 95 officers have left the department so far this year. He said more than half of those who have left the department resigned.
News 5 has been following through on CPD's staffing problems for more than a year.
Our exclusive investigation found 32% of the city's force left the department between 2020 and 2022.
READ MORE: Cleveland cuts 142 police jobs
As a result, Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond said officers are often mandated to work overtime to meet required staffing levels on the streets and in specialized units.
He hopes the new recruitment efforts will alleviate the need for officers to work extra hours.
"We want to make sure that they're not working too much," Drummond said. "We want to make sure they have the opportunity to get rest. We want to make sure they have the opportunity to see their families, spend time with their families."
Bibb said he is still working with union leaders on a plan for the retention and redeployment of officers who are currently on the force.
Drummond said the department currently has 1,226 sworn law enforcement officers, which means it is 272 officers short. This year's budget called for 1,498 officers. However, Mayor Bibb reduced the number of officers.
If you consider previous budgets, the city is short more than 400 officers.
