The Chula Vista City Council on Tuesday approved a 5% pay increase for all sworn police officers, aiming to address severe staffing shortages and stem the flow of officers leaving for higher-paying departments. The pay adjustment, which takes effect Friday, comes as the department operates with 28 v acancies — nearly 10% of its authorized 296 sworn positions. Since 2021, 40 officers have left Chula Vista for other agencies, creating ongoing recruitment and retention issues. “We are one of the lowest staffed police departments for a city our size,” Police Chief Roxana Kennedy said in a statement. “Our team is routinely asked to do more with less. Yet, they consistently deliver a high level of service to our community.” Councilmember Michael Inzunza, who requested a recruitment and retention study at the July 22, 2025 council meeting that informed the pay decision, said he wanted to ensure officers felt fairly compensated. “I wanted to make sure that we’re keeping good officers, and we’re recruiting good officers that are staying for the long haul,” Inzunza said. The city currently employs 268 officers, giving it a ratio of 0.89 officers per 1,000 residents — the lowest in San Diego County, according to Sgt. David Martinez, president of the Chula Vista Police Officers Association. The county average is 1.3 officers per 1,000 residents. To reach that average, the department would need 390 officers, about 100 more than currently authorized, Martinez said. The 5% increase is an equity adjustment made during the department’s existing contract, which runs through June 2027. It is not a full contract renegotiation. Before the raise, Chula Vista ranked eighth out of 12 agencies in the county for total compensation, which includes salary, benefits and specialty pay. The adjustment moves the department to first place on paper, though Martinez noted most officers don’t receive the full compensation package because more than 60% have eight years or less experience and don’t qualify for longevity pay bonuses. Officers receive an additional 3% at 15 years of service and additional 2% at 20 years. “The cops that are leaving us … those aren’t our 15- or 20-year cops that are leaving,” Martinez said. “Those guys are the ones that have been here eight years or less that are going to other agencies.” The department also faces an aging workforce, with 33 officers at retirement age who could leave at any time. The recruitment pool has shrunk dramatically. In 2025, only 5% of applicants for police officer positions qualified, according to a city staff report. The number of applicants has declined significantly compared to a decade ago, Martinez said. Mayor John McCann said the city previously provided raises that made Chula Vista one of the higher-paid departments in the county, but other cities “were able to basically leapfrog our salary.” “We want to make sure that public safety is my top priority and making sure that we are one of the top tier compensated police departments in the county is important to be able to recruit and retain officers,” McCann said, adding that he was confident this pay increase would be sustainable for the remainder of the current June 2027 contract period. The pay raise will cost the city’s General Fund $1.3 million in the current fiscal year, offset by transferring 15 officer positions to the Measure A Sales Tax Fund, according to a city staff report. The Measure A fund, approved by voters in 2018 for public safety, will see a net fiscal impact of $1.34 million this year, rising to nearly $3 million annually in subsequent years. Kennedy praised the adjustment as recognition of officers’ work and said it “helps ensure we remain competitive with our regional partners.” The department is currently hiring for its 28 vacancies, and Martinez said he hopes the raise will help attract quality candidates. “When people are looking to get into this profession, I hope that they consider the Chula Vista Police Department as an option,” he said. ...read more read less