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Because salary rates are not competitive, the Office of Police and Communications at the Zoo continues to experience difficulty in recruiting and retaining police officers. Over the past decade the principal pool of applicants has been retired military and law enforcement personnel rather than applicants from viable competitions with other police recruitment sources. The 20-member, year-round force is currently composed of retired or second-career officers (42%) and first-career or non-retired individuals (58%). In addition, up to six temporary officers are employed during the peak season, April through September, each year. The average age of Zoo police officers is 50 years.
 
Authorizing the Secretary to establish rates for police pay that are comparable to those of other units in the area will aid in addressing the Zoo's recruitment and retention problems. To determine appropriate salary levels that will bring Zoo police pay rates in like with those of similar metropolitan units, the Secretary will direct the Smithsonian's Office of Human Resources conduct a pay comparability study of public protection services in the metropolitan region. Under the new authority, the Secretary will then establish levels of pay for the Zoo police force, so as to be consistent with positions that have similar duties and responsibilities. Although this authority would not be limited to private positions at the CS-7 level, it is expected that these positions would typically be the ones most affected. The estimated impact of adjusting levels of pay for the current Zoo police positions is $93,000.

Accordingly, the following motion is suggested:

VOTED that the Board of Regents endorses the principle of authorizing the Secretary to determine competitive pay rates for the National Zoological Police and requests its Congressional members to introduce and support proposed legislation to that effect.