Around one in five police officer positions in Lithuania is vacant, which means officers had to put in over 330,000 hours of overtime last year. Municipalities have now started offering lump sum payouts between 5,000 and 20,000 euros to attract more recruits.
There is a shortage of 400 officers in Vilnius alone. As a result, the municipality is trying to attract newly graduated recruits with a salary supplement of 150 euros, as well as a one-off payment of 10,000 euros. In return, the officer has to work in the Lithuanian capital for at least five years.
“The salary of a starting officer in Vilnius is uncompetitive compared to other regions because the cost of living is higher here. Therefore, the bonus can be a big accelerator,” said Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas. “We are already seeing this effect, with 20 contracts signed with future officers.”
Fourteen municipalities have now started doing the same.
Meanwhile, the shortage of officers is partly down to the small number of recruits that meet the requirements to enter the police academy.
Most of them fail to get in due to poor health, according to Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė. Out of 800 applicants last year, only 140 were eventually accepted.
“This year, we plan to have a very similar number,” the minister said.
Another reason for the low number of recruits is the entry salary, which starts at around 1,000 euros. According to Renatas Požėla, chief of the Lithuanian police, the incentives paid out by municipalities will help make the pay more competitive.
The number of those wanting to enter the police “has increased since the beginning of this procedure”, he noted.
