Question from Anonymous

First I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. In the last few years the Police Dept has seen numerous people leave because of pay and benefits. Unless the city does something they will constantly be hiring and training new people. I know for a fact that there are at least five officers that are seeking employment elsewhere. Berea is a great place to work and if pay and benefits were there then no one would leave. The agency has recently become accredited and there are several officers within the dept that are instructors in several different fields. There are not many smaller town depts that can make this claim. If the city is not willing to provide hazardous duty then they should at least provide better pay than what is in place. Is this a concern that you and the council will be addressing in the near future or is it even an issue?

Steve Connelly answered:

I think that the reality of police department personnel hiring is that each officer now has a marketable skill. Cities across the country are seeking qualified officers. Recruitment and turnover will be the norm for the foreseeable future.

I and the council are proud of the department's accreditation and the training level and performance of most officers. Becuase you are a valuable commodity, the city will have to compete for your services on a regional if not state-wide basis. But there is no magic formula for establishing the "correct" level of pay. It will be what the market dictates.

We value your skills and each of you as good people. We will take one step at a time and deal with police personnel hiring and pay levels as reasonably as possible, both for employees and our citizens.

Yes. Police hiring and police pay are big issues for me and the council.