Police departments offering bonuses, incentives to new recruits and experienced officers to fill Bay Area openings

Police departments across the country are struggling to fill vacant positions, and Bay Area law enforcement agencies are taking plays out of big tech's playbook - offering creative and pricey incentives to recruits and existing officers to join their rosters.

"It's like the NFL draft now," said San Mateo County Sheriff's Capt. Mark Myers. "Everyone needs cops so everyone's pulling out all the stops."

The competition is fierce, but limited in the race to beef up the number of police officers.

"It could mean hiring bonuses, it could mean recruiting bonuses," said Myers. "Some places are offering take-home patrol cars, everyone's thinking outside the box."

San Mateo County is offering $30,000 bonuses to experienced officers who make a lateral move to their sheriff's department. But in the pricey Peninsula, another issue is plaguing recruitment.

"The cost of living. No one can afford to live here," Myers explained. "I know the county has done a lottery to give a low-interest down payment, but, I hate to say it, even $100,000 isn't enough in this area."

Officers often commute to San Mateo County from several counties over, and as far as out of state, said Myers. The Sheriff's Department is down about 90 officers, a striking decline compared to their average 30-40 vacancies.

But the issues are larger than finances may be able to solve. In the wake of the social justice movement in 2020 paired with the global coronavirus pandemic, the interest in becoming a police officer has noticeably declined.

"It's probably been going on the last two to three years, significantly after 2020," Myers explained. "We saw a very noticeable change after the murder of George Floyd, COVID, social justice reform; we really saw a huge drop in the number of people interested in joining law enforcement."

Cities say filling police officer positions is necessary for public safety and they're willing to pay up for it. Alameda is offering one of the largest signing bonuses in the country at $75,000 to be paid out in installments. Marin County is offering $30,000 and Contra Costa County is offering $15,000.

Pleasant Hill is offering a $30,000 bonus to experienced officers, said police Sgt. Brian Leonard, adding that the financial offerings are becoming so popular, that they're starting to lose their impact.

"The effectiveness is decreasing a bit now that nearly every department offers it," Leonard told CBS News Bay Area.

The police departments' biggest hurdle is finding officers with the required qualifications. Despite staffing shortages, Pleasant Hill has not lowered its minimum standards which could open doors to newer officers.

"When you can bring in an officer that has some experience, it's a known quantity that is a higher return on investment, honestly," he explained.

No city is immune to the shortages.

"San Francisco PD graduated six people out of their academy last week," said Myers. "They used to graduate 50 or 60."

For him, it comes down to the well-being of his officers and their families who are sacrificing their time and relationships in the name of public safety.

"It does put a strain on the deputy but more importantly it puts a strain on their families. We have a lot of young deputies that have young kids and new marriages," said Myers.

"There is a light at the end of the tunnel but it may just take us a bit longer to get there."