The Birmingham Police Department (BPD) is moving quickly to establish a new officer recruitment and retention plan. The outline was recommended by department leadership and Mayor Randall L. Woodfin then approved by the Birmingham City Council.
The city reports that the goal of the recruitment and retention plan is to strengthen the police force through an aggressive $15.8 million investment in new recruits and current officers. Mayor Woodfin has focused specifically on hiring 172 patrol officers.
Details of the approved recruitment and retention plan:
- Increases the recruitment bonus to $10,000
- Establishes a quarterly retention bonus of $2,500 for officers with two or more years at BPD
- Creates a take home vehicle program with 75 vehicles
- Starts a part-time reserve officer program which would ease staffing demands during large events
- Invests in recruitment marketing and officer recruitment consulting
- Launches a police trainee program which allows BPD to hire immediately and begin academy preparation for recruits
- Offers $5,000 in relocation assistance for new officers living more than 80 miles away from Birmingham
- Provides a $1,000 referral incentive for officers with BPD
- Begins a mental health observance leave policy for officers for 8 hours per month
“I have a genuine, public thank you to the Birmingham City Council for supporting and investing in the Birmingham Police Department and our officers,” Mayor Woodfin said. “The City of Birmingham is hiring. We’re looking for men and women who understand what service is, who understand what community is, who understand what building trust is. We are looking for men and women who want to be the face of law and order.”
Prior to the approval of this recruitment and retention plan, BPD recruits received a $5,000 bonus. The department consistently emphasizes benefits that apply exclusively to officers, such as the opportunity to earn full pay while attending the Birmingham Police Academy.
Police recruits also are able to go home each day from the academy. In the last two years, pay for BPD officers has increased by 15% with a starting salary for an officer at about $51,000, according to the city. BPD has also an established rehire program, premium pay for officers with multilingual skills and specialized training.
The Birmingham Police Department officer recruitment phone number is 205.254.1712.
