The Los Angeles Police Department is set to award officers who have college degrees nearly $41 million in bonuses in the coming budget year, even as thousands of other city employees face pay cuts amid a financial crisis at City Hall.
Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council signed off on the new LAPD “education incentives” last summer, paving the way for officers with associates’ degrees to receive an extra $190 every two weeks and those with bachelors’ degrees an extra $290.
The education bonuses went into effect last month, just as projected tax revenues from hotels, restaurants and retail stores plummeted as a result of the coronavirus shutdowns.
In addition to those payouts, LAPD officers are on track to receive 4.8% in pay raises in the fiscal year that starts July 1. The raises and bonuses are part of the city’s newest contract with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers.
Read the full story on LATimes.com.