The local police force is hoping a revamped recruitment incentive will attract experienced officers to the city.
Timmins Police has relaunched its recruitment incentive that offers experienced officers cash to sign on with the service.
First-class constables who commit to the service for at least five years receive $30,000, which is the same as the original campaign that failed to attract any officers. New this time, however, Timmins Police is offering $20,000 to second and third-class constables committing to work for at least five years.
Extending the parameters to include constables who are in the earlier years of their careers is part of the feedback received when the original campaign was rolled out earlier this year.
“We looked at the way people settle that by the time you’re a first-class constable you are almost five years into your career, so you may not be as likely to move,” he said.
Because the agreement was in place with the Timmins Police Association when third-class constable Justin Miller started earlier this year, he is eligible for the incentive, said Grenke.
The goal is to attract up to 10 experienced officers, he said.
There is time for people to consider the incentive. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2024.
“There’s a bit of a longer period … to let people mull it over Christmas, mull it over the new year and then make that decision in the new year,” he said.
Earlier this year, Timmins Police also offered a $30,000 bonus to current officers who commit to staying with the force. Nearly 60 officers agreed to that incentive, which is paid out at the end of the term.
“We do have a financing strategy in place on how we will pay for that. It will only be paid out in three years from now. It is in our budgeting process, which we’re currently in right now,” he said.
Even after signing on to the incentive, three officers recently left Timmins Police to work for OPP.
The board, said Grenke, is continuing to have conversations with the association to talk about what the next steps are for retention.
This was one of the things that we talked about this year … perhaps it’s not a monetary thing. A monetary thing is definitely something that officers appreciated, some officers have left for geographic reasons and things like that, it’s not just solely to go to the OPP so I wouldn’t put them all in the same kind of box,” he said.
In 2023, at least eight officers have resigned from Timmins Police, and one long-time constable also retired earlier this year.
The force currently has a complement of just over 80 officers, which includes the four recruits at the Ontario Police College (OPC) who are slated to graduate next month.
The police force is approved for 96 officers, but the highest it's ever been is 88.
Final checks are being done on four new recruits who should be going to OPC early next year. Grenke said there will be an update on who the candidates are and how many spots are available for the local service at the January OPC intake at the board meeting next week.
Information on how to apply for Timmins Police is available online here,
