Lakeland police chief looks to add 35 officers in next six years, despite recruitment woes

A second Lakeland Police Department chief is sounding the alarm about the need to get more officers on the street given the city's explosive population growth.

Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor, during a presentation at the city's strategic planning retreat last week, said he estimates the city will need to hire about 35 additional officers over the next six years to help ensure the public's safety.

"That's really preliminary, we are still in the process of crunching those numbers," Taylor said.

It's the second time in two years the City Commission has heard this warning. Taylor's words echo the exact request of his predecessor, former Chief Ruben Garcia, made in February 2022.

Commissioner Mike Musick asked what the chief's projected staffing was based on. The numbers are based on the department's number of calls for service and Lakeland's rapid population growth within city limits, entered into different state and national formulas.

How many officers? By the numbers

From April 2020 to April 2023, Lakeland gained 9,327 new residents — an increase of 8.2% — to 121,968 residents, according to the city's data. This exceeded all the city's projections of permanent residents through 2025.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's recommended ratio is 2.59 officers per 1,000 people, including school resource officers. Based on 2022 reports, the FDLE finds there's a statewide average of 2.53 officers per 1,000 population when including school resource officers and ports.

The police department currently is authorized to hire up to 272 sworn "gun-wearing, badged" officers, Taylor said. That number includes approximately 10 vacancies, with 262 positions filled.

Based on these numbers, Lakeland has 2.14 officers for 1,000 people. That's well below the state average.

The police department would need to add about 44 officer positions, in addition to filling its 10 vacancies, to reach FDLE's recommended staffing levels based on the city's 2023 population.

Other national formulas may vary from this, such as community-oriented policing standards from the U.S. Department of Justice and studies conducted by Michigan State University's Police Staffing Observatory.

"I was a little hesitant to put 36 officers down based on population projections," the chief said. "I've got 10 openings right now. If you gave me 36 officers, I'm still going to have a hard time finding 36 qualified police officers."

Troubles recruiting, retaining officers

Getting the recommended boots on the ground may prove challenging for the police department, which Taylor said faces difficulty finding qualified candidates to hire and retaining staff.

Last year, Lakeland Police Department hired 25 officers and had an equal number walk out the door.

Mayor Bill Mutz asked the chief whether there was any specific reason officers are leaving Lakeland Police Department.

Taylor said there's an even mix of retirements and resignations for other lines of work. Only four of the 25 officers left the department to go work for a different law enforcement agency.

Mutz asked what the chief's personal preference would be in hiring experienced veterans versus new trainees.

"It's easier to hire someone who has experience," the chief said. "It's like building a professional sports team, you like to have some veterans and some rookies as well.

Taylor said hiring someone with prior law enforcement background generally means he can have them trained on the streets in about four months. Rookie recruits have to go through the state's police academy, Lakeland's mini-academy then go through field training, a process Taylor said generally takes about a year to complete.

Currently, the police department has a lot of experienced, older officers who are nearing retirement, and a lot of youthful trainees. Taylor said he does not have a lot of officers in the middle age group with some experience looking to advance.

So far this year, Lakeland has hired 15 officers to fill out its roster and lost four individuals. Recruitment efforts continue with a goal of growing the city's police force to be 30% female by 2030. The department's current staff is about 17% female, according to Taylor, so there's been intentional recruitment efforts aimed at women.

"Female police officers use a little less force and are a little more compassionate and understanding in a lot of situations," the chief said.

Fire department faces 'war for talent'

Lakeland Fire Department Chief Doug Riley said the police department isn't the city's only agency facing what he called "unprecedented" issues with recruitment and retention.

Riley said the fire department has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of applicants applying for open positions, with a much higher turnover rate than it has had in the past.

"We are not getting enough qualified candidates to fill our vacancies," Riley said.

The commissioners questioned whether the chief could use funding to hire additional personnel, along with more equipment, to better equip the city's future Station 8.

The Lakeland Fire Department has about 11 positions open, according Riley, who said he had some inside knowledge indicating another employee is preparing to hand in a resignation, moving the number to 12.

Riley said it's been difficult hiring the personnel necessary to implement the local union's negotiated "Kelly Day," a designated day off a firefighter would normally be scheduled to work to help cut back on overtime.

"It's an industry problem," he said. "There are a lot more jobs available today than qualified applicants. That creates more than just the obvious problem of more jobs than applicants."

The fire department has been looking to hire individuals who have started or completed EMT or paramedic training on their own, or hiring individuals who have already enrolled in the state's fire academy but are in the process of completing their certifications. However, other departments across the state have caught on to this tactic and are using it too.

It's not simply a matter of problems with recruitment. Riley said there have been problems retaining the city's current staff.

In the past two years, 27 employees have left the fire department, of which 16 are going to other departments.

"There is a need for responsiveness to this problem," Mutz said.

Commissioner Chad McLeod asked whether there was anything that stood out among the 16 individuals.

Riley said the employees have moved on to other local agencies, staying within the region and going to other departments because of better paid benefits, pension plans and more.

"The overall package is more appealing than what we are able to offer right now," McLeod said.

Commissioner Stephanie Madden asked whether the fire department is able to offer more flexible working arrangements with different shift options allowing a new employee some choice.

The chief said it may be possible, but he doesn't know of any fire departments that allow their staff to pick their work schedule.

"We have to look at the human aspect of this," Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley said. "What makes someone raise their hand to go into military, fire or police? Are we missing something that is the human resource, a human attribute we are not recognizing?"

What's next?

The city's various departments, including police and fire, will individually meet with City Manager Shawn Sherrouse to go over their budget requests for fiscal year 2025. The commission will gather in July to discuss the framework of the 2025 budget and make decisions about funding for new employees, equipment and projects. The specific dates of these budget workshops have not yet been announced.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland police chief asks for 35 more officers to keep up with growth