Lady Lake officials are worried low salaries are not attracting enough police officers to the town’s law enforcement ranks.
That means there have been a number of vacancies that have been hard to fill at the Lady Lake Police Department.
“Right now everyone is in competition,” said Lady Lake Police Chief Robert Tempesta.
The starting pay for a police officer in Lady Lake is $45,000 per year and it’s one of the lowest starting salaries in Lake County, according to the chief.
“I want to fill these vacancies,” the police chief told the Lady Lake Commission at its meeting Monday night at Town Hall.
Town Manager William Lawrence began his career as a law enforcement officer many years ago. He said times have changed.
“People don’t want to be a police officer any more because they don’t want to work nights and weekends and holidays,” he said.
Lawrence added that money is the chief motivator.
“The younger generation is looking at starting pay. They aren’t thinking about benefits. They aren’t thinking about down the road. They are thinking about now,” he said.
The town currently has a two-year contract with the police union, the Lady Lake Police Benevolent Association. Last year, the police union asked for a starting salary of $50,079.
Commissioners indicated they are willing to reopen the police union contract to increase pay to help with recruitment.
“Help is on the way,” Mayor James Rietz assured the police chief.
