Report Details Difficulties in Hiring Police Officers

Redondo Beach city officials expect to fill only 87 of the Redondo Beach Police Department's 96 full-time officer positions in the 2013-2014 fiscal year due to a lack of qualified candidates, according to a Daily Breeze report.

"An aging employee population combined with generous retirement benefits that enable police officers to retire with 99 percent of their salary at age 50 has created a significant supply versus demand challenge," according to a city staff report. 

The issue stretches as far back as 2006, when police departments reported 9,000 officer vacancies, but only 2,500 recruits graduated from academies, according to the city.

On multiple occasions, Police Chief Joe Leonardi has told the City Council that interest in the job of a police officer appears to be waning. Additionally, some officers looking to make a lateral move from one department to another decide against transferring after their original department offers them a better deal, he said.

Police department staffing became a big issue in the campaign for City Council this spring. Councilman Steve Sammarco, whose platform was heavily focused on public safety, was elected to represent District 4 after a runoff. 

• Full story: South Bay Police Departments Struggling to Fill Ranks [Daily Breeze]