Mayor Eric Johnson is wanting to recruit officers from the Austin Police Department who could also be contemplating retiring amid contract negotiations with the City.
AUSTIN, Texas — “We want and need you.”
That’s Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s message to Austin police officers contemplating retirement because the police union stays at odds with the City of Austin over contract negotiations.
“If you work for Austin PD, are still interested in protecting and serving, and are considering retiring from the profession, don’t,” Johnson stated in a tweet on Saturday morning. “Come work for the residents of @CityOfDallas by joining @DallasPD. We want and need you. #BigDallasEnergy”
The Dallas mayor’s recruitment push comes because the City of Austin and the Austin Police Association (APA) battle over a brand new police union contract. APA leaders have claimed that going out of contract would trigger main issues for the police division, together with making staffing shortages worse. The APA stated the Austin Police Department may have to quickly droop some police models, which may trigger a mass retirement of officers.
Last week, a brand new measure was put in place to be certain officers maintain getting salaries and advantages if the present contract lapses. The present contract is ready to lapse on the finish of March.
The APA has stated it won’t negotiate a one-year employment contract, which was most popular by the Austin City Council. The police union is pushing for a four-year contract it already negotiated with the City. But councilmembers want to wait on approving that contract till after a May election, when Austin voters can have a say on two competing police oversight poll initiatives.
On Monday, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson responded to Johnson’s provide, saying, “Police officers in Austin are the highest paid in the state, and experienced officers here are making, on average, 17% more than they would in Dallas. When you look at the compensation numbers side by side, it begs the question: who really values officers more?”
Watson stated it will be significant to be aware that regulation enforcement companies in every single place are combating recruitment and retention.
“It’s not an Austin-specific issue,” Watson stated. “The Texas Department of Public Safety is currently down 550 troopers and unable to fill all its recruiting classes, according to testimony from Col. Steve McCraw today in a House committee hearing. Dallas is facing these problems too. This is a systemic problem in law enforcement that requires a much more thoughtful and nuanced discussion than we’re having here.”
According to the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Police Department is going through an ongoing hiring disaster. The division’s purpose this yr is to rent 300 officers after dropping about 236 within the final fiscal yr. Currently, about 27% of the Dallas police power is eligible to retire.
According to the Austin Police Retirement System, no less than 77 Austin officers are at the moment poised to retire by the tip of March. In the previous few years, the very best that quantity has gotten between January to March is 44.
Right now, greater than 200 APD officers may retire instantly or purchase a particular credit score to change into eligible for retirement.
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