The Beverly Hills Police Officers Association (BHPOA), the union that represents all police sergeants and officers in the city, has reached an agreement with the city over its new memorandum of understanding (MOU).
Christian Bond, the president of the BHPOA, told the Courier that he is “extremely happy” with the outcome of negotiations and expressed his gratitude to Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian, the Beverly Hills City Council, City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey and the city’s negotiating team.
“I am extremely pleased and deeply appreciative of the negotiated and ratified contract we have reached with the city of Beverly Hills,” he said. “This agreement reflects meaningful progress, thoughtful dialogue, and a shared commitment to supporting the men and women who serve this community with dedication every single day.”
Nazarian also expressed her satisfaction with the MOU and the process of negotiations.
“We are pleased that the city of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Police Officers Association have come to an agreement regarding the terms of a new three-year contract,” she told the Courier in a written statement. “There is nothing more important than a healthy collaboration with the incredible men and women who continue to protect our community. We remain focused on the safety and security of our residents, businesses and visitors, and this agreement supports the unified approach needed to protect and serve our community.”
Key topics of the negotiation included salaries and pay increases, longevity pay and compensated time off. According to Bond, members of the BHPOA initially pushed hard for longevity pay.
When the city indicated that it would not include longevity pay in the MOU, the parties instead agreed to increased pay based on educational achievement.
The final agreement states that the base pay of employees who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited or approved college or university will increase by 2.75%. The same figure applies to employees who have earned a master’s or doctorate degree and is cumulative if multiple degrees are earned.
Employees who become certified in Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) will also see their base pay increase by 5% for an intermediate P.O.S.T. certificate and 7.5% for an advanced P.O.S.T. certificate.
Police Sergeants who earn a supervisory P.O.S.T. certificate will see their base pay increase by 1.5%.
“We went away from longevity and put it into education and P.O.S.T. certificate bonuses, and it worked out perfectly,” said Bond of the final agreement. “It encourages officers to get further education, get their advanced P.O.S.T., bachelor’s, master’s and educate themselves.”
The contract must now be approved by the City Council, which will review the issue at its Dec. 16 meeting. If it is approved, its terms will be applied retroactively to Nov. 29, the beginning of the pay period following the BHPOA member vote.
All employees who were members of the BHPOA at the time of ratification will receive a total base salary increase of 18.5% over the next four years as well as a lump sum of $1,500 upon the City Council’s approval of the contract.
The first increase of 3.5% will be effective immediately. The second increase of 6% will be effective July 1, 2026; the third increase of 65% will be effective July 1, 2027; and the fourth increase of 5% will be effective July 1, 2028.
The negotiations have been contentious at times since the BHPOA’s MOU expired on June 30. Members of the union repeatedly accused the city of failing to compensate its members at a rate on par with nearby departments. In several messages to registered voters, Bond said that the city was losing officers—and therefore, a certain level of safety—to other cities.
At a City Council meeting on Aug. 5, Hunt-Coffey delivered a public presentation refuting a number of Bond’s claims.
The relationship between officers and management within the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) was already a tense one. In June, the BHPOA issued a vote of no confidence in Police Chief Mark Stainbrook, followed by a cease-and-desist letter in July, alleging that Stainbrook engaged in retaliatory behavior against Bond.
If approved, the new contract will extend through June 30, 2029.
