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Upward of 300 officers have left the SDPD in the past 9 years

A recent editorial in America's Finest City's seems to have pointed out the obvious:  San Diego Police Department officers are not only underpaid, they're among the least paid in the state.

Recruiting and training efforts have done little to help.  At best, according to sources, the only thing it has accomplished involves maintaining the rate of spin on the staffing-revolving-door.

Bring new in officers, providing trained, while qualified and experienced employees run for the hills after getting offers for positions with better hours, pay and compensation packages.

Upward of 300 officers have left the SDPD in the past 9 years.

Some point out that after the city's whole "Enron by the Sea" debacle, when former elected officials mismanaged San Diego's finances to the extent they nearly bankrupt the city, citizens understood that times were tough, budgets needed to be reeled in and spending needed to be kept at bare-bones levels.

Today, however, residents imploring city decision makers to take a second look at law enforcement budgets.  San Diego is back to having a fiscal surplus; the city is "in recovery mode".

The current fiscal budget allocates $3.2 million for compensation and $4 million toward hiring and recruitment.  Payroll advocates say that if the city placed a larger focus on compensating already-trained, experienced, and currently working officers better, they wouldn't need to toss so much money toward recruitment.

Happy employees don't switch agencies; if a solid plan is put in place, the mass exodus can be stopped.

Read the full story here: Keeping good cops on the force in San Diego