Originally Posted by kttref

I know..but there are some people on here from out West.

Originally Posted by Inspector

A bit of additional info. Dallax, TX was in touch we me on an issue recently and they were offering a $10,000 signing bonus payable upon completion of training. Many other departments are also offering bonuses recently including New Orleans, Houston, Los Angeles, and numerous other California departments. Some, but not all, departments will pay the bonuses only to experienced or pre-certified officers.

Originally Posted by futureMSP

Our final recommended was a starting salary increase and we denied the idea of signing bonuses. There are departments in Vermont that do signing bonuses, Colchester Police (New - $3,000 Cert - $5,000), Berlin Police (Cert - unknown $), Brattleboro Police (Cert - $3,000), University of Vermont Police (New and Cert - $4,000).

Originally Posted by Delta784

Do you mean a signing bonus when hired, or a signing bonus when negotiating a collective bargaining agreement that's expired?

Originally Posted by LA Copper

For new recruits who are not already a POST certified police officer, LAPD gives a $5,000 bonus. For laterals who are POST certified, we give a $10,000 bonus.

Originally Posted by galehopeful

There are several metro Atlanta departments with bonuses:

Gwinnett County Police: $2,000 signing bonus. Educational differential of 3% (Associates) or 6% (Bachelors) and $1,500 relocation allowance.

City of Atlanta Police offers different starting pay based on degrees, and different pay for lateral officers based on degrees and previous years of service:
http://www.atlantapd.org/index.asp?nav=Career

DeKalb County Police has a $1,000 signing bonus for previously POST-certified officers.

Cobb County Police lets lateral transfers bring up to 5 years of seniority with regards to pay, vacation, and retirement

Clayton County Police offers higher pay for college educated or POST certified and even higher pay for POST certified with various degrees of experience (GA only)
http://www.claytonpolice.com/Employment.htm

Fulton County Police offers the same pay to 4-year college graduates and those with 8 years of police experience, about $5,500 more than starting rate for those without either.

Most large southern departments have hiring bonuses or college/military/previous experience incentives. Nearly all departments around here offer higher starting salaries for those with prior experience or those with Bachelors or Masters Degrees. (Most top out the same rate for everyone, regardless of veteran status or degrees; Atlanta has different top-out rates depending on what degree one has)