>D.C.’s police force has struggled to find recruits in the competitive labor market and it’s trying to stand out with its generous hiring bonuses and recruitment campaigns in metros like New York City and Philadelphia. But these efforts come as the Philadelphia Police Department faces recruitment woes of its own.
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>Philadelphia police are short about 500 officers and pension records show the department expects hundreds more employees will retire within the next four years. And more than 500 officers are off duty on injury claims, a trend driven in part by abuse of a state disability benefit.
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>Amid changing attitudes toward policing and an unrelenting gun violence crisis, the Philadelphia Police Department is not worried D.C. might be drawing local talent with hefty bonuses. Philly hires start off at just shy of $60,000 and can reach close to $64,000 within six months. After an 18-month probationary period, MPD’s new hires make close to $66,000 but they also have to afford the D.C. area’s higher cost of living.
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>Officers in Washington, D.C., are not required to live in the city while Philadelphia police officers must move into the city within a year of getting hired. Earlier this year, Philadelphia waived a requirement that new recruits live in the city for at least a year before starting the job.
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