Update on local law enforcement agency’s recruitment efforts

Officer Cheyenne Bower, left, and Officer Sean Price, right, who were both new hires for the Ocala Police Department, pose together at the Ocala Police Department in Ocala on Dec. 20, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

Marion County’s two largest law enforcement agencies have increased starting pay for new officers and offered recruits incentives and signing bonuses to bolster their respective ranks. 

To fill vacant positions, recruiters with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office have traveled to military bases to meet with potential applicants, and talked with others working in agencies outside Florida, said Sgt. Paul Bloom, public information director for the MCSO, in an email. 

“Our recruiters have visited multiple military bases to offer jobs to those leaving the service,” he said. The department currently has 17 detention deputy positions and 11 patrol deputy positions available. 

The MCSO currently employs more than 300 total deputies and has increased its starting pay by more than $2,500 since 2019, from just over $42,000 to $44,566 for the current fiscal year. 

The higher starting salary, along with a $7,000 moving assistance stipend for hires coming from out of state, and a $5,000 signing bonus, has helped the sheriff’s office attract more viable candidates. 

“There has never been a better time to begin a career in law enforcement,” said Bloom. 

Those that are not certified as Law Enforcement Officers but wish to be, can apply for the sheriff’s office sponsorship program which pays for schooling in the Deputy Training Program, he said. 

Trainees earn $33,420 annually while attending school, but their pay is increased to the starting pay of $44,566 once they graduate, he noted. 

The Ocala Police Department currently has just four vacancies, according to its public information officer Jeff Walczak.

Starting pay for OPD new hires is $45,900 annually, an increase of $4,900 since 2019, when new officers made $41,000 a year.

For police officers who are already certified in other states, OPD offers up to $1,400 towards getting certified in Florida, said Walczak in an email, as long as they commit to the agency for at least two years.

It also offers an additional $1,500 incentive for recruits who relocate 150 miles or more, he said. 

“Our agency has seen a steady number of applicants throughout the years and recently has seen an increase of out-of-state applicants,” said Walczak. 

Both agencies and other law enforcement organizations across the state may soon get significant help with retention and recruitment from Florida legislators.

The House Judiciary Committee in February unanimously approved HB 3 by Rep. Tom Leek, which creates the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program to provide one-time bonus payments to newly employed law enforcement officers in Florida and increase the base salary of deputies by $5,000, among other benefits. It is favored to pass the Senate.

Another bill, HJR1 would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would create an additional $50,000 homestead exception for law enforcement officers, teachers, child welfare workers, and others. The
bill was passed by the House Feb. 18 and was favored to pass the Senate this week. 

In the meantime, Bloom said the MCSO is also assisting recruits through a partnership with local realtors as well as businesses through the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership or Ocala CEP. 

Packets with information, including details on local schools and daycares are included, as well as other data that newcomers to the area may need. 

“We are looking at our candidates as a family and not just an individual,” said Bloom. “We want to be able to have jobs to offer here locally to the spouses of deputies that are moving to the area.”

“Our feeling on this is that our county deserves to have great talent working here at the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “The best way to attract the best talent is by providing an entire package that is attractive to both the candidate and his/her family that will be coming with them.”