The full story
Through the lateral transfer program, police officers in one geographic location can enter employment in another area, and the officer’s salary at the new department would then be based on experience and the ability to do the job, according to city documents.
Police Chief Royce Graeter said the lateral transfer program would help with bringing in more experienced officers from other cities as well as retaining the department’s current force.
The modified signing bonus incentive plan now offers an incentive in stages, offering more experienced officers a higher bonus. Prior to council’s approval, the signing bonus was $2,000, and it was the same across the board for all officers.
Council approved the new program and modifications to the department’s signing bonus incentives at its Sept. 27 meeting.
The specifics
Some qualifications have to be met to be considered for the police department’s new lateral transfer program, according to LHPD documents. The following are some of the qualifications:
- At least 24 months of continuous service as a paid, full-time certified peace officer
- A valid Texas driver's license at the time of hire
- Licensed by the Texas Commission in Law Enforcement
Here are the newly approved signing bonuses:
- $2,500 for less than two years of experience
- $3,500 for two to four years of experience
- $5,000 for four years of experience or more
What officials are saying
“It’s just something we desperately need or we’re going to continue to lose people. That turnover costs a lot of money, plus we lose that good experience,” Graeter said at the Sept. 27 meeting. “We want an experienced staff to better serve the citizens of Liberty Hill.”
Council Member Angela Jones said these are great initiatives, and she didn’t realize the city was not executing them prior to council’s approval.
“I think that it’s something that we should be doing across the entire organization, and reward people for their years of experience,” she said.
