$20,000 Bonus Offered To Experienced Officers To Join Trumbull Police

TRUMBULL, CT — The Trumbull Police Department is one of several area departments looking to hire more officers, but Trumbull is trying to entice experienced ones with a little incentive.

A $20,000 incentive.

The department is offering a bonus of up to $20,000 "for POST certified police officer candidates who successfully complete the application process and are hired by the Town." POST stands for Police Officer Standards and Training, which is the certification for an experienced officer.

"This incentive is available only to police officers currently certified by the Connecticut POST Council who also have a minimum of two (2) years of experience with another police agency in the State," Trumbull police officials wrote on Facebook (see below). "Certified police officer candidates who qualify will earn the bonus over the course of their first four (4) years, as they complete each year of service with the Town."

Though Trumbull recently hired four new officers, the department is one of several in the area still seeking new officers, including Derby, Monroe and Newtown. The new hires in Trumbull will bring the department to 75 members when they become full-time, which is still short of its recommended total of 82.

As a result, the competition is fierce to sign new recruits, particularly for experienced ones. Bringing in experienced officers over new recruits can save the town time and money on training, officials told the Connecticut Post.

In addition to the bonus, the Trumbull department also said that "certified officers will also qualify to begin working at a pay grade above the entry level step, dependent upon their previous years of police experience."

Starting salary for a certified police officer in Trumbull is $62,123, and it can reach as high as $87,070.

Trumbull will pay qualifying officers the $20,000 bonus in the following installments:

• $2,000 will be paid following successful completion of a probationary training period
• $3,000 will be paid on the officer's one-year anniversary
• $5,000 will be paid on the officer's two-year anniversary
• $5,000 will be paid on the officer's three-year anniversary
• $5,000 will be paid on the officer's four-year anniversary

For more information, visit PoliceApp.com, or send an email to policerecruitment@trumbull-ct.gov.