The Honolulu Police Department has begun paying dispatchers and other 911 staff up to $2,000 per month in retention bonuses, but some employees of the long understaffed communications division say it’s too little, too late.

The bonuses, which vary according to job title, have been approved through the end of June, but HPD said it plans to propose continuing it through the next fiscal year.

Some dispatchers contacted by Civil Beat said they appreciate the additional pay, but more needs to be done to address longstanding concerns about working conditions in the communications department, which is around 35% understaffed.

“Right now it is one of the most miserable places to be,” said Linda Gouveia, who is a police communications officer II, the most senior dispatcher charged with operating radios.

In a statement announcing the bonuses on Wednesday, Communications Division Capt. Matthew Kurihara said the extra pay is meant to recognize the essential work of the civilian employees. “These incentives show our commitment to the professionals who answer those calls and help bring calm to chaos every single day,” he said.

HPD said employees will receive the retention bonus starting with their next paycheck. Some said they had already received the first additional payment and were still awaiting one that was supposed to be paid in September.

‘Extra Money In Our Members’ Pockets’

HPD has just over 100 dispatchers, including 14 emergency response operators, 18 call takers and 72 radio operators, who will receive the benefit, according to the Honolulu Police Department.

The union representing the dispatchers, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, has advocated for retention bonuses for years. It said the extra pay is meant to help retain personnel as well as boost recruitment, according to HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira.

“These employees are on the front lines of public safety within the HPD, and severe staffing shortages have long had an impact on employee morale, retention, and service,” Perreira said in a statement. “We’re pleased to have reached an agreement with the department to put some extra money in our members’ pockets.” 

Lakea Tjomsland, a senior emergency dispatcher, said the communications division has around 50 vacant positions and around 25 employees are eligible for retirement.

Emergency response operators, who receive, screen and route 911 calls, will get $500 a month. Call takers, who answer emergency and non-emergency calls for service, will receive $1,000 per month. And radio operators, who are responsible for dispatching police officers to calls for service and for managing the status of patrol units, will receive $2,000 per month. 

All employees will also continue to earn “incentive pay,” an extra $2 per hour for every hour worked, rather than what they would earn if they called out sick or took vacation. HPD said that equals about $3,840 per year.

An entry-level salary for a call taker is about $54,000, but the bonuses will boost their salaries to around $70,000 a year, according to the department.

Severe Burnout

One of the most difficult factors affecting dispatchers’ lives is mandated overtime that requires them to stay four hours past their regular shifts multiple times per week. That adds up to about 48 additional hours of work per month, Perreira said in a letter to Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters in June.

As part of his push for the bonuses, Perreira warned that the overtime policy was pushing employees to the “brink of exhaustion.”

They get paid for the additional work, but the union chief wrote that “employees are not allowed to refuse overtime, even in the case of childcare, elder care or other personal scheduling conflicts.”

“This has led to a workforce that is physically burned out, emotionally worn down, and fearful of management reprisal,” he said.

Another issue impacting employee morale is the fact that police officers are allowed to work overtime in communications during some shifts, which causes controversy because the dispatchers know the officers are earning so much more than they are to do the same job, said Gouveia, who is also a steward for HGEA.

The officers also aren’t filling in during the busiest shifts, so dispatchers are still required to work mandated overtime.

“It’s not alleviating our mandates,” she said. “Our people are burned out.”

Tjomsland said she is happy employees are getting the bonus, but the department could work on other solutions to make the job more attractive.

One of her priorities is getting the classification of dispatcher changed from a clerical position to a first responder position. Being classified as first responders would allow them to negotiate for better pay and benefits. It would also give them the recognition Tjomsland says they deserve.

She also wants to see the department find a way to stop requiring so much overtime for communications personnel so they can have a better work-life balance.

“High stress, you don’t know when you’re going to go home, you work a rotating schedule, nights weekends all of that kind of stuff,” she said. “They’re asking you to give up everything.'”