By Olivia Mitchell
cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Councilman Michael Polensek wants the city to give $10,000 bonuses to recruits who complete the police academy, a move to boost recruiting for a department that has suffered a major drop in officers.
In a letter to Mayor Justin Bibb last week, Polensek said the bonuses would come with stipulations. One condition would be that a person who receives the money must work for the division of police for at least five years. If not, the person must repay the city based on the amount of time worked in Cleveland.
“Crime is spiking across the entire city, and we see more and more gun-related violence involving younger and younger individuals,” wrote Polensek, the chairman of council’s Public Safety Commission. “With so few police (officers) patrolling the streets, their lack of presence isn’t a deterrent to criminals.”
There have been at least 80 homicides so far this year. The numbers may change pending results from the office of the Cuyahoga County medical examiner. Most of the homicides were committed with firearms. The city appears likely to top 150 slayings for the fourth straight year.
Memorial Day weekend was brutal as the city reported 23 shootings. Two of those victims died.
On May 31, a woman died and three others were shot in the 400 block of East 123rd Street. The shooting came days after four men were shot at a sports bar on Harvard Avenue.
In addition to the homicides, police have responded to a jump in car thefts, domestic violence incidents and drug overdoses. Earlier this month, the medical examiner’s office issued a public health alert after five people died from opioids. Three of the overdoses happened in Cleveland.
The city set its budget for 1,498 officers. There are 1,257 in the division today, according to Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia, the police spokeswoman. In previous years, the city budgeted for more than 1,600 officers.
The police academy’s last class had just nine recruits; the class before that had 13, Polensek said.
Polensek said recruiting, not money, is the problem. Cleveland officers have been poached by suburban cities who pay more and provide better incentives. The department has also lost scores of officers to retirements and resignations.
The city budgeted an additional $1.8 million for uniformed personnel in the police budget of $218 million for this year.
“Given that the city has 35 potential cadets for the next class, the additional $1.8 million would not impact the funding council has approved for police,” Polensek’s letter stated.
Marie Zickefoose, a spokeswoman for the Bibb administration, said the city is actively exploring recruitment options.
“Incorporating sign-on bonuses for new officers was considered last year when the city applied for a Department of Justice grant for retention and recruitment efforts,” Zickefoose said in an email to cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. “The city remains in consideration as a recipient of this grant.”
Zickefoose said it is the city’s goal to obtain immediate relief and create a long-term solution to staffing challenges.
Jeff Follmer, the president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, said the bonuses are a good idea. But he said the city should raise wages to retain the officers it already has. Follmer said the union will meet with city leaders in the coming days to discuss pay raises for cadets, too.
Follmer is also fighting for the city to release additional funds from the budget to officers at the end of the year, he said.
Polensek shared the letter with members of Council, as well as Karrie Howard, the city’s director of public safety, and Wayne Drummond, the police chief, for input.
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