(3/27) Police departments are not exempt to the hiring struggles faced by organizations across the country and Carroll Valley Police are struggling to stay competitive, according to Carroll Valley Police Chief Richard Hileman.
The Carroll Valley Civil Service Commission does not have candidates in process at this point, as three candidates who were in the ‘pipe-line’ withdrew, Hileman said.
Other police agencies are reporting the same difficulties and Carroll Valley is continuing its recruiting efforts, he said.
Hileman has been kicking around upping the starting wage currently offered to new recruits, which currently stands at $51,000. "That is way below what we’re seeing out there in this area even," he said.
Carroll Valley also does not have a pay scale and in an effort to entice a newly certified police officer, Hileman suggested the council bump up the department’s starting wage.
Currently the starting wage for a borough police officer is between approximately $51,000 to $65,000 based on experience and Hileman suggested a potential increase to $58,000 to $68,000 based on experience.
"We need to get that bottom number up. At the current low rate our most likely candidate is going to be a newly certified officer with no experience," he said.
While other municipalities offer lower starting wages, they can offer writing to guarantee the police officer will make "considerably more" five years down the road, Hileman said. "I don’t have that document to offer anybody," he said.
President Richard Mathews suggested ambitious new patrol officers just starting their career were not interested in the kind of work a borough like Carroll Valley could provide.
"We’re not a city, we don’t have a downtown … In Carroll Valley we are blessed with the type of community we are," including less crime and a smaller population, he said.
Councilmember John Schubring suggested paying more to seek experienced officers willing to work in a quieter area.
"Quality officers don’t move, because they can’t move," Hileman said, noting the Borough does not have enough money to pay an officer to give up ten years of existing pension from another department.
While Pennsylvania teachers can move through the school districts because the state runs the retirement system, pension is nontransferable for commonwealth police officers as each department has its own, Hileman said.
As an organization Carroll Valley Borough Office is collectively struggling to find applications, Borough Manager David Hazlett said, and suggested heads be put together to formulate a plan.
Hazlett recommended looking into addressing what needs to be changed in order to improve hiring in general, whether it involves the starting wage or increasing advertisement.
Mathews said he would reach out to council member to potentially form a three-member committee to generate hiring ideas.
