Glencoe’s village board has signed off on some new financial incentives in an effort to attract and retain officers to its understaffed public safety department.
At the Nov. 17 board meeting, Glencoe trustees approved within the consent agenda (where items are rarely debated) a memorandum of agreement with the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council allowing the village to negotiate starting pay with experienced officers applying to work in Glencoe.
“It gives us flexibility to negotiate their starting pay anywhere in our salary range from starting pay to top pay where previously under our contract we were limited to starting pay through our 36 month staff,” Public Safety Director Cary Lewandowski said. “We are trying to attract good candidates. It is competitive and we want to remain competitive.”
This move follows the village creating a lateral hiring program for officers late last year.
“Historically, lateral hires would allow an officer to switch departments, but the new department would pay that officer a starting salary, rather than a salary commensurate with his or her experience,” FOP Labor Council spokesman David Blanchette said. “The FOP Labor Council is working with contracts such as the one in Glencoe to allow employers to bring on lateral hires and pay them at a rate that matches their experience.”
The starting pay for a public safety officer in Glencoe is $81,715, with the top pay being $120,263 as of Jan. 1, 2023, Lewandowski said.
The goal of the program is to recruit new personnel to Glencoe where there are 17 active members, with 26 considered full staff, not including supervisory roles.
Lewandowski acknowledged Glencoe is one of many departments throughout the nation are currently facing staffing challenges.
“With the negative attitude toward law enforcement in the media, politically and socially, not a lot of people are interested in becoming police officers or firefighters right now,” Lewandowski said. “That is something that is nationwide, that is not just Chicago or Glencoe.”
He said these types of perceptions have previously occurred.
“I’ve been a police officer for 36 years and it has always ebbed and flowed,” Lewandowski said. “It is to be expected unfortunately.”
Lewandowski said since the creation of the village’s lateral hiring program late last year, two officers have already been hired and there have been many other applications from officers seeking to join the department.
He noted Glencoe’s situation is different from other communities as village officers are cross trained as both police and firefighters.
Lewandowski said in the past the village’s public safety model helped Glencoe attract potential officer to apply.
“People were looking for some variety and they were coming to work for some different opportunities,” he said. “They could come here and use different skills.”
However, he is not sure if that is a hindrance or a plus anymore in the current age.
In addition to the lateral hiring program, the department is also making an effort to retain current officers by offering a $3,000 one time bonus is being offered to officers if they make a three year commitment to stay at Glencoe. The money would have to be paid back if they leave before three years.
All of this comes as the village board approved a new contract with the FOP for all officers last April.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
