The Indiana Senate wants new police officers working in the Hoosier State to effectively be locked into their first job following basic training for up to three years.
Earlier this week, the Senate voted 49-0 to potentially obligate the state or a local police department that poaches a relatively new officer from another law enforcement agency to reimburse the first department for the officer's training, equipment and other costs — limiting the ability of new officers to seek higher pay or a better working environment in another community.
Likewise, a police officer who chooses to leave law enforcement for a different public- or private-sector job within three years of completing basic training could be held personally responsible for repaying their police training and equipment costs under Senate Bill 95.
State Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, the sponsor of the legislation, said the plan promotes public safety and puts rules in place that make the cost of training new police officers fair to all agencies.
"Police agencies across the state hire and spend tax dollars to train officers only to lose them, in many cases, shortly after graduating the academy from basic training. This bill will stabilize losing younger officers from being hired away by other police agencies," Byrne said.
According to the legislation, a subsequent police employer or the individual officer would be obligated to repay the first law enforcement agency, upon request, its expenses for officer testing, training and fitted bulletproof vests and other supplies provided to the officer that can't be reused, as well as the first year of the officer’s base salary and benefits.
The new employer, or a police officer who quits the force, would be liable for 100% of those costs in the first year after the officer completes basic training, 66% between one and two years after basic training and 33% between two and three years after basic training.
"Three years after graduating the academy there would be no cost for that officer to be hired away," Byrne said.
A similar measure, Senate Bill 129 (2024), was approved last year by the Senate but died in the House. Byrne is optimistic this year's proposal will succeed across the Statehouse rotunda because it now applies to state police agencies as well as locals.
If enacted into law, the reimbursement requirement only would apply to an officer hired after June 30.
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