Oakland to vote on $50K police hiring incentive targeting veteran officers
The emergency proposal aims to combat a spike in violent crime
By Suzie Ziegler
OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland city leaders are expected to vote Tuesday on an emergency proposal aimed at recruiting more veteran police officers, not rookies, according to NBC Bay Area. The move comes amid a crime spike that puts Oakland on track for a deadly, record-breaking year.
The city council will vote on offering a $50,000 hiring bonus, according to the report.
Councilmember Shen Thao, who proposed the measure, also suggested the city hire an independent recruiting firm to conduct a “nationwide search for talented, committed and community-focused patrol officers.”
Oakland just recorded its 129th homicide this year, according to the report, putting the city on track for its deadliest year in almost a decade. The Oakland Police Department simultaneously has a decade-low of 676 sworn officers. A voter-approved measure requires the city to always have at least 678 officers, the report says.
