FREMONT — With little public opposition, the Fremont City Council voted unanimously to approve a 2% raise for police officers Tuesday night in an attempt to retain officers and attract applicants.
The raise, which will go into effect by the end of this month, was brought forward by Councilman Raj Salwan, who soon will be sworn in as mayor after winning the November election.
Officials in Fremont, like many other cities throughout the region, have claimed that officers continue to flee to other jurisdictions because of lack of competitive pay. After a handful of officers left Fremont this year, the Fremont Police Association’s president Alexander Gregory called the move a “step forward.”
After Salwan first suggested the raises in September, Fremont police lost two officers to Livermore and Santa Clara police departments, Gregory added. Annually, Fremont loses about eight officers, Gregory said.
“Given the competitive nature of our salaries throughout the Bay Area, we’re hoping that this action stems the tide, and we’re hoping that we’re able to retain officers,” Gregory said Wednesday.
Prior to Tuesday, the only opposition to the raises on council was former Councilwoman Jenny Kassan, who resigned from her position in September. She complained that the city had little to no discussion about the fiscal impacts of the raises on the city’s most expensive department.
According to the city, the compensation increases will cost Fremont $442,000 and the double-overtime program will cost another $259,000.
The new agreement includes a temporary increase in overtime benefits, which raises officers’ compensation to double-overtime from the previous time-and-a-half on overtime shifts. The double-overtime pilot program will sunset after June 30, 2025, unless renewed by the council. The raises also include an opportunity for officers from other cities to receive a $100,000 signing bonus in portions over five years after switching to Fremont police.
According to the city’s salary schedule, a base-level officer hired after July 2024 makes between $130,774 and $158,992 in wages, depending on experience. The city spent a grand total of $118.4 million in total compensation through last year’s budget cycle on police and expects to spend $123.5 million by the end of the 2024-25 cycle, according to the city’s latest adopted operating budget.
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Source: www.mercurynews.com