AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Taylor is introducing a new plan that city leaders hope will incentivize prospective police hires.
At a Tuesday night council meeting, leaders proposed creating a new incentive program for transferring police officers that would allow them to integrate into the Taylor Police Department (TPD) more quickly. The department previously only offered incentives to academy graduates.
"We'll give the $2,500 upon hire. And then we will give the second $2,500 after they've finished department training. We will also have a repayment provision so if that officer comes, we give them the lateral hiring incentive, and they don't stay with us for three years, then we will request that money be paid back to us," LaShon Gros, the City's human resources director, said about the plan.
Leaders further elaborated that the new incentives would have a minimal impact on the general fund, since general fund money has already been budgeted for officers attending the city's police academy.
It is currently unclear when this new plan will go into effect.