From ongoing federal and local investigations into the Antioch Police Department to a staffing shortage, that’s drastically impacting the department’s daily operations.
Now, the city of Antioch is hedging its bet on offering $30,000 bonuses to new hires in its police department with the hopes of attracting officers to the city.
But some city officials want to make sure they’re recruiting officers that will help rebuild trust between the department and the community.
“The first question I have is do they want to work for this city or this community or are they just chasing a hiring bonus?” said Antioch city councilman Mike Barbanica.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Barbanica knows the hiring process in police departments as he was a former lieutenant for Pittsburg police. At this week’s city council meeting, he voted in favor of extending a program offering $30,000 bonuses to new hires in the police department.
Antioch police currently has 31 officers patrolling the streets.
The staffing issues continue to be a problem amidst investigations by the FBI and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, which uncovered racist text messages between officers and produced several indictments.
But agencies like the Alameda Police Department are experiencing success, as they are offering $75,000 bonuses to new hires. It’s attracting hundreds of applicants to fill two dozen spots.
For Barbanica, he knows it’s a dire situation for Antioch police. But wants hiring standards to remain high to make sure officers are fully invested in the job.
“I want to make sure that we have a police department that the city can rely on. And I want to make sure someone is not coming just for the signing bonus,” he said.
Barabnica will continue to monitor this incentives program over the next year. But if it doesn’t have a major impact on hiring, he believes its best to discontinue the program.
