Beverly Hills police officers and representatives for the city traded public missives throughout the week as the two groups continue to work through labor negotiations.
In a back-and-forth that began with a message from the president of the Beverly Hills Police Officers Association (BHPOA) and most recently featured a formal response from City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey, both sides lobbed conflicting numbers and accounts of the current state of the city’s police department.
The BHPOA is the official union representing the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD). All sworn officers, except the Chief of Police, are members.
The primary issues being debated are BHPD salaries, recruitment and department staffing.
On Aug. 2, BHPOA President Christian Bond sent a message to registered voters in Beverly Hills saying that the city’s safety is threatened due to low police staffing numbers. He additionally stated that officers are leaving the BHPD because of low pay.
“Experienced officers are leaving for other local departments for $30k, $50k, and even $90k raises, pay bumps, and recruitment signing bonuses,” he wrote.
Speaking to the Courier, Bond reiterated that sentiment.
“We’re losing officers at an unprecedented amount,” he said. “I’ve been in Beverly Hills over 18 years. Never have I seen officers laterally … going back to LAPD, going to Santa Monica, Inglewood, Torrance … I’ve talked to City Council. They’re like, ‘What could we do to get officers to stay?’ I said, ‘The only thing you can is pay. You need to pay us.'”
On a website set up by the BHPOA, the association identified the Inglewood Police Department, the Santa Monica Police Department and the Irvine Police Department as entities that pay more than the BHPD.
Speaking at the City Council meeting on Aug. 5, Hunt-Coffey disputed claims that BHPD officers make less than those in nearby cities.
Comparing base pay as well as benefits and bonuses to other local municipalities, Hunt-Coffey said that while BHPD may not pay the most, it is providing a salary that is on par with other cities.
“We’re very competitive,” she said. “We’re not the very top, but we’re certainly not the very bottom.”
With regards to staffing, the BHPOA and the city present conflicting numbers. BHPOA claims that the department is staffed at 131 deployable officers out of a potential 154, leaving 23 vacant positions. In her remarks, however, Hunt-Coffey said that the city has 13 vacant positions out of 154.
The back-and-forth comes as tensions have risen between the two negotiating parties and within the department. In June, the BHPOA issued a vote of no confidence in Police Chief Mark Stainbrook, citing concerns including an alleged lack of investment in the growth and retention of sworn personnel, a “misrepresentation of current staffing levels to City Council” and the “retention of personnel who do not meet required training standards.”
In July, an attorney representing the BHPOA issued a cease-and-desist letter to Stainbrook, alleging that he “engaged in a course of conduct intended to intimidate, discredit, and retaliate against President Bond” following the vote of no confidence.
Hunt-Coffey did not address the vote of no confidence or the cease-and-desist letter in her remarks at the Aug. 5 meeting; however, Stainbrook was present to deliver remarks about the need for a signing bonus to attract more officers.
“Recruitment remains a challenge,” he said. “It’s challenging times … we have future challenges for getting more personnel, needing more personnel, including two Metro station openings in the next two years, the 2026 FIFA games and the 2028 Olympics. So, this proposal [for a signing bonus] strengthens our recruitment efforts for hiring.”
The council approved the signing bonus, which will offer $35,000 to officers who do not have previous experience and $45,000 to those who do.
Speaking to the Courier, Bond said he is not in favor of the bonuses and would prefer to see that money go towards longevity pay or increases in cost-of-living compensation.
“I’m completely against signing bonuses,” he said. “It’s going to bring people in, they’re going to collect this bonus, and then they’re going to the next city that has a signing bonus … you’re taking away money from officers that could be paid here, now.”
Following the vote on signing bonuses, Mayor Sharona Nazarian emphasized the city’s commitment to safety.
“I want to assure the community that our number one priority is the safety and security of our residents, businesses and visitors … our police officers are the backbone of the community, and we value and appreciate them tremendously,” she said.
