07-03-2006, 09:23 PM
Palm Beach County police agencies raise starting salaries as they compete for candidates
By Leon Fooksman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 3, 2006
In the competition for qualified police candidates, law enforcement agencies are raising starting salaries to get an edge.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office plans to boost starting salaries by 9 percent next fiscal year, and other police departments are likely to dig deeper in their budgets to spike starting salaries and offer incentives as well, officials said.
"Once one agency goes up, the others go up as well," said Ernie George, executive director of the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, a union that negotiates salaries and benefits for about 3,000 officers in Palm Beach and Martin counties, including the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
Police chiefs collectively can do little to set limits and control starting salaries since each department negotiates with police unions independently and it would be inappropriate to discuss contract talks with other agencies, chiefs said.
Plus, police agencies are competing with each other for the best candidates amid a shrinking pool of applicants at a time when many people are turning away from police work because of its stressful work conditions and public scrutiny, they add.
"You have no choice but to remain competitive," said Lantana Police Chief Rick Lincoln, chairman of the Law Enforcement Planning Council, a law enforcement policy group.
The Sheriff's Office plans to raise the starting pay from $37,620 to $41,088. Palm Beach and Boca Raton police departments have the highest starting salaries at $46,003 and $43,992, Sheriff's Office records show. Starting salaries are $39,754 in the Broward Sheriff's Office, $38,154 in Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and $38,173 in the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Several years ago, some cities in Palm Beach County rushed to increase salaries, offer take-home cars and provide other incentives to keep up at the time with higher-paid deputies in the Sheriff's Office. Cities took the steps to attract new officers and keep existing officers from departing to the Sheriff's Office, where there are more opportunities to work in specialized areas such as the agency's marine and aviation units.
Now, cities may have to consider increasing starting salaries again and offer even more incentives.
"We'll strive to remain competitive," said Boca Raton Capt. Tom Ceccarelli, who oversees his department's recruiting.
Ceccarelli points out that city police departments often offer better retirement packages than the Sheriff's Office.
For Boca Raton, the main competition for drawing candidates isn't always the Sheriff's Office but other higher-paying city departments, such as Fort Lauderdale and Coral Springs, he said.
The Police Benevolent Association pushes for higher salaries in contract talks as often as it can to offset the skyrocketing housing costs in Palm Beach County, George said.
Many officers have left in recent years for lower-paying jobs in other states, but the cost of living is much lower in those states, he said.
Also, officers from other parts of the country have turned down positions in Palm Beach County after realizing how expensive it is to live here, he added.
Leon Fooksman can be reached at lfooksman@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6647.
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By Leon Fooksman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 3, 2006
In the competition for qualified police candidates, law enforcement agencies are raising starting salaries to get an edge.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office plans to boost starting salaries by 9 percent next fiscal year, and other police departments are likely to dig deeper in their budgets to spike starting salaries and offer incentives as well, officials said.
"Once one agency goes up, the others go up as well," said Ernie George, executive director of the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, a union that negotiates salaries and benefits for about 3,000 officers in Palm Beach and Martin counties, including the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
Police chiefs collectively can do little to set limits and control starting salaries since each department negotiates with police unions independently and it would be inappropriate to discuss contract talks with other agencies, chiefs said.
Plus, police agencies are competing with each other for the best candidates amid a shrinking pool of applicants at a time when many people are turning away from police work because of its stressful work conditions and public scrutiny, they add.
"You have no choice but to remain competitive," said Lantana Police Chief Rick Lincoln, chairman of the Law Enforcement Planning Council, a law enforcement policy group.
The Sheriff's Office plans to raise the starting pay from $37,620 to $41,088. Palm Beach and Boca Raton police departments have the highest starting salaries at $46,003 and $43,992, Sheriff's Office records show. Starting salaries are $39,754 in the Broward Sheriff's Office, $38,154 in Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and $38,173 in the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Several years ago, some cities in Palm Beach County rushed to increase salaries, offer take-home cars and provide other incentives to keep up at the time with higher-paid deputies in the Sheriff's Office. Cities took the steps to attract new officers and keep existing officers from departing to the Sheriff's Office, where there are more opportunities to work in specialized areas such as the agency's marine and aviation units.
Now, cities may have to consider increasing starting salaries again and offer even more incentives.
"We'll strive to remain competitive," said Boca Raton Capt. Tom Ceccarelli, who oversees his department's recruiting.
Ceccarelli points out that city police departments often offer better retirement packages than the Sheriff's Office.
For Boca Raton, the main competition for drawing candidates isn't always the Sheriff's Office but other higher-paying city departments, such as Fort Lauderdale and Coral Springs, he said.
The Police Benevolent Association pushes for higher salaries in contract talks as often as it can to offset the skyrocketing housing costs in Palm Beach County, George said.
Many officers have left in recent years for lower-paying jobs in other states, but the cost of living is much lower in those states, he said.
Also, officers from other parts of the country have turned down positions in Palm Beach County after realizing how expensive it is to live here, he added.
Leon Fooksman can be reached at lfooksman@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6647.
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