DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For law enforcement agencies across the country, the need for recruiting and retaining officers is at an all-time high.
The city of Daytona Beach is no exception.
The Police Department has 242 sworn positions, of which 41 currently remain unfilled.
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The union that represents the Daytona Beach officers said many have left the department for better pay elsewhere, while others left for less stressful jobs.
In March, Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry challenged city staff to come up with a plan to help stem the tide.
Now Eyewitness News learned of a new proposal to address issues in officer pay to help close the gap.
The proposal calls for a $3 an hour increase for all regular sworn officers, with a special detail pay increase from $40 an hour to $60 while working at bars and nightclubs and $80 an hour during major events like Bike Week and Biketoberfest.
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Mike Scudeiro, president of the Coastal PBA, said the proposal would help stop some officers from leaving.
“At a minimum, it should stem the bleeding,” Scudeiro said. “There shouldn’t be this continued exodus.”
If adopted, the new pay rates would make Daytona Beach police some of the highest paid officers in Volusia County and place them on par with other departments like Orlando and Orange County.
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The mayor said he’s happy with the proposal and thinks it is only fair for the amount of work officers put in.
“Our officers work harder than probably any other officer in Volusia County, and we want them to feel appreciated,” Henry said.
The Police Department isn’t the only agency looking at a potential increase. Firefighters could see an hourly bump in pay, too.
The proposal is set to go before the city commission for approval at its next meeting later this week.
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