CINCINNATI — Cincinnati police say it's an equation that doesn't add up. High turnover plus low recruitment means fewer officers on the street and more burnout, according to FOP President Dan Hils.
Hils said CPD recruits are paid $19 an hour, among the lowest in the state. He said low rates are just one reason why the department is nearing a dangerously low number of officers on the streets.
"Right now people are fighting for employees," Hils said. "CPD needs to join that fight — bring retention bonuses."
CPD is short 108 officers, according to Hils. And the latest recruiting class won't make a large dent in that number.
"They started with 38. A few recruits decided they weren't going to stick around. We're down now to 34," Hils said. "What makes that scarier is this right here — 202 officers of our 951 could leave today."
More than 250 officers, more than one out of every four current officers, are eligible for retirement by 2023. If they left, Hils said residents would see an immediate impact.
"If you're in Sayler Park, Hyde Park, you probably a lot of times during the day don't have a policeman anywhere near your neighborhood," Hils said.
That's why he wants the city to step up and be more competitive by paying signing and retention bonuses. CPD got a $13 million budget increase last year, and Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that $42 million will be available to Ohio police departments as part of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program.
"This is one area that Cincinnati can't afford to go any lower," Hils said. "It's going to affect all the other business in Cincinnati when we can't provide public safety because we just don't have enough."
WCPO reached out to Mayor Aftab Pureval's office to see what, if any, action will be taken.
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