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have increased. Citizen concern with law enforcement practices has taken what was always a dangerous job and made it more so. Second-guessing and hesitation creep into every confrontation. And, as seen over the past month, outright assassination is becoming common. Longevity pay is being proposed to keep officers at the Santa Ana Police Department. A common program, used in most police departments and other public agencies, longevity pay is compensation of the years of experience one gains on the job. It is an incentive to remain at work, rather than leave as soon as possible. It keeps younger employees here with the promise of an added benefit as years of service increase. In 2012, we had approximately 400 police officers in a city that at its peak is pushing a population of half a million (500,000). Currently, we are flirting around 300-308 officers; that's unacceptable. In order to get back to adequate and safe staffing levels, we must address this problem with a dual prong approach; retention and recruitment. As you know, when hiring a recruit it can take up to if not more than 18 months before they hit the street as a certified officer. The quickest way to improve staffing is by retaining the officers we have. A Longevity program, which is common in most agencies, will also assist the recruitment vain by bringing the Santa Ana Police Department in line with our neighboring agencies and the industry's best practice and standards. We must be competitive with the top agencies in Orange County in order to retain and recruit the best qualified applicants and have a healthy department. Considering everything happening in Santa Ana, I don't think below mediocrity is acceptable. The current standard will only cause further deterioration and financial burdens in the form of liabilities. ### GERRY SERRANO, President Santa Ana Police Officers Association 31-STRONG ### 2