In an attempt to broaden its pool of police officer candidates without increasing the payroll budget, the Menifee Police Department has received approval from the City Council to offer Police Recruit positions as full-time jobs.
In its Dec. 17 meeting, the Council approved the addition of a Police Recruit position to the salary schedule. This would be a full-time position with a salary of $32 per hour ($66,560 per year). The Recruit would be part of the Menifee Police Officers’ Association union upon graduation from a California POST (Police Officers Standards and Training)-certified police academy.
“Each Recruit hired would underfill an authorized Police Officer position within the Department’s approved staffing allocation,” the agenda item stated.
“Because the cost of employing a Recruit is lower than that of a fully burdened Police Officer, this initiative would remain within the department’s existing budget while enhancing recruitment efforts, reducing vacancy rates, and strengthening the department’s culture and long-term succession planning.”
Phil Southard, public information officer for the City of Menifee, said this will give the department more options in getting both experienced transfers and affordable young academy graduates.
“There are currently eight vacancies, but we are continuing to receive and process applications from qualified lateral candidates,” Southard said. “The Police Officer Recruit position provides Menifee PD with a creative and sustainable way to invest in individuals early in their law enforcement careers, while also helping strengthen the department’s culture and long-term succession planning. We were actually one of the only remaining agencies in the region to not have a recruit position.”
According to the council request, which was unanimously approved: “Candidates for this position must successfully complete a written examination, physical agility test, and a comprehensive POST-approved background investigation, along with medical, psychological, and polygraph examinations prior to appointment. Once selected, Recruits may either be sponsored prior to entering a POST-approved police academy or hired while they are actively attending one.”
The position was posted this week. Interested persons can learn more information at this link.
