Oroville Police Chief Michael Langford received approval of a plan to help hire a new sergeant and retention pay for lateral hires at Oroville’s March 21 council meeting. Gary DeVon/GT file photo

OROVILLE – The Oroville City Council voted to increase what they pay for the police sergeant’s position, as well as several incentives to help retain officers.

Approval of the plan, forged between Police Chief Michael Langford and the police committee, as well as an amendment to the city budget, took place at the March 21 meeting of the city council. Ordinance 903 calls for the sergeant stipend, which is currently three percent above regular patrol officer pay, to increase to five percent above.

“There are three items to assist us in the recruitment and retention of new officers in the future,” said Mayor Ed Naillon. “The first is Ordinance 903 amending the sergeant’s salary from three percent to five percent above the current officer’s cap.”

The mayor said the plan was taken to the police committee and discussed and it was his opinion that the committee approved of the increase.

“I think it is important to try and bring officers into the community and then try to keep them for at least five years,” said the mayor, calling for a motion to approve the increase

Councilman Mike Marthaler made the motion, it was seconded and passed unanimously.

“I’d like to say that it is still below most police departments,” said Marthaler.

“We’re doing better all the time and we are still working on it. We have a little bit more work to do Mike,” said Mayor Naillon.

“With that Chief Langford is asking us to approve a conditional offer of employment that would go to candidates. That offer spells out condition of employment, as well as retention payments.”

City Clerk JoAnn Denney reminded the mayor and council that this would be for lateral hires.

In this case, lateral hires are employees with training and experience from another police departments, making them more prepared to take on the job than entry level hires.

“So what we’re trying to do is retain our officers for five years, When they sign on with the city of Oroville, that will be $2,500 bonus and then after they complete their probationary period, which is a term of one year, that would be another $2,500. At the completion of their second year they would get another $2,500. And, if they stay for five years, they’ll be working towards a $5,000 bonus.”

This would be for lateral officers who have already attended the police academy.

“It looks like a chunk of money, $12,500, but you know it costs us almost $100,000 to send somebody to academy… $85,000. If we are doing that every other year, ouch,” said Councilman Richard Warner, who used to serve on the city’s civil service board.

Warner moved that they approve the retention package, it received a second and passed unanimously.

Chief Langford, who arrived at the meeting late due to other obligations, thanked the mayor and the council for their approval of his requests.

The Oroville City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Oroville Council Chambers.

For more on the March 21 meeting, see this week’s edition of the Gazette-Tribune.