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AN ORDINANCE TO INSTITUTE A SUPPLEMENTAL PAY INCENTIVE PLAN FOR SWORN OFFICERS OF THE JONESBORO POLICE DEPARTMENT
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WHEREAS, there exist a need to attract qualified applicants to the Jonesboro Police Department and retain qualified officers who are currently employed by the Jonesboro Police Department; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council of the City of Jonesboro recognize that a large investment of public funds is made to train and equip each new police officer and that experienced officers are more skilled and efficient at providing the law enforcement mission it is in the best interest of the City of Jonesboro, the citizens of Jonesboro and the Police Department to institute certain financial incentives for existing and future sworn personnel of the police department in order that their skills and services shall be retained and so that the financial investment of the City training and equipping these personnel should also be retained.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the City Council of Jonesboro, Arkansas, that:
SECTION 1: The City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, hereby institutes the Supplemental Pay Incentive Plan for police officers which shall grant additional pay, on a percentage basis, to each officer who shall obtain certain levels of training, education, fitness and special skills.
SECTION 2: The City of Jonesboro, Arkansas recognizes the value of professional development and advanced training for law enforcement and for the purposes of awarding supplemental compensation to sworn officers of the Jonesboro Police Department recognizes State Law Enforcement Certifications of General, Intermediate, Advanced and Senior (as specified in appendix "A") or equivalent law enforcement certification recognized by another state, and shall award an amount equal to 3% of their annual salary for each of the aforementioned state certifications obtained by each sworn officer of the Jonesboro Police Department.
SECTION 3: The City of Jonesboro, Arkansas recognizes the value of formal education for law enforcement officers and the benefits to the public that well educated officers provide. Based upon this the City of Jonesboro recognizes that:
Sworn officers of the Jonesboro Police Department who obtain an Associate degree from a nationally accredited college or university shall receive an amount equal to 3% of their annual salary.
Sworn officers of the Jonesboro Police Department who obtain a Bachelor degree from a nationally accredited college or university shall receive an amount equal to 3% of their annual salary.
Sworn officers of the Jonesboro Police Department who obtain a Graduate degree from a nationally accredited college or university shall receive an amount equal to 4% of their annual salary.
Sworn officers of the Jonesboro Police Department shall be limited to recognition of only two degrees in any curriculum, identified and approved as being related to law enforcement in some manner or of specific benefit to the operations of the police department, approved for the purposes of this education incentive program as recognized and approved (as defined by Appendix "B") by passage of this ordinance.
SECTION 4: The City of Jonesboro, Arkansas recognizes the value of physical fitness for law enforcement officers and the benefits to the public that fit and healthy officers provide. Based upon this the City of Jonesboro recognizes that upon successfully completing a bi-annual fitness test that:
Sworn officers of the Jonesboro Police Department who obtain a fitness level of the 90th Percentile or above in the Cooper Clinic (as defined by Appendix "C") shall receive an amount equal to 5% of their annual salary.
Sworn officers of the Jonesboro Police Department who obtain a fitness level of the 80th percentile but below the 90th Percentile in the Cooper Clinic (as defined by Appendix "C") shall receive an amount equal to 4% of their annual salary.
Sworn officers of the Jonesboro Police Department who obtain a fitness level of the 70th percentile but below the 80th Percentile in the Cooper Clinic (as defined by Appendix "C") shall receive an amount equal to 3% of their annual salary.
SECTION 5: The City of Jonesboro, Arkansas recognizes the value of fluency in certain foreign languages for law enforcement officers and the benefits to the public that such fluency provides. Based upon this knowledge the City of Jonesboro recognizes that:
Fluency in the Spanish language, at a conversational level, as determined by a recognized high school or college Spanish instructor is of significant value for law enforcement officers in the field, thus, sworn officers who demonstrate conversational fluency in the Spanish language shall receive an amount equal to 3% of their annual salary.
Fluency in certain other languages, approved by the City of Jonesboro Public Safety Committee, at a conversational level, as determined by a recognized high school or college foreign language instructor is of significant value for law enforcement officers in the field, thus, sworn officers who demonstrate conversational fluency in these certain other approved foreign languages shall receive an amount equal to 3% of their annual salary.
SECTION 6: The appropriation of additional funds is not necessary as sufficient funds exist in the 2007 Police Budget having been unused due to vacancies carried throughout the year but recognizing the potential financial liabilities of the institution of the Supplemental Pay Incentive Plan, no sworn officer of the Jonesboro Police Department shall be eligible to receive more than a total of 12% of their salary under this plan within any single 24 month period.
SECTION 7: The City of Jonesboro, Arkansas further recognizes that the institution of the Supplemental Pay Incentive Plan is a supplemental addition to sworn officer's pay and in no way is related to or supersedes the City of Jonesboro's Pay and Classification Plan having no effect or relationship to any cost of living or longevity increases or changes made city wide to said plan.
SECTION 8: The City of Jonesboro, Arkansas recognizes that this plan may need to be amended or interpreted from time to time to insure fairness in its implementation, to determine applicability of certain testing procedures and to insure that the Police Department remains competitive in the market place. Should any question arise as to applicability of any certain section or the interpretation of any certain element of the plan a majority vote of the public safety committee of the City of Jonesboro shall decide.
SECTION 9: The City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, finds and declares that the above Supplemental Pay Incentive Plan is necessary for the general benefit and welfare of the public; that it is necessary for the recruitment of potential officers and the retention of existing officers and that unfilled police officer positions in the Police Department adversely impact law enforcement services; therefore an emergency is declared to exist and this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.
PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 18th day of December, 2007.