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Police Officer Benefits
Our self-insured group health plan provides coverage with zero-dollar premiums to contract and regular employees who work at least 30 hours per week. We offer voluntary dental insurance, life insurance, and a cafeteria plan which includes medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
Health Care
Coverage begins the first day of the month following the employment eligibility date, and has Mercy as its Preferred Provider Organization (PPO).
Coverage | Premium |
---|---|
Employee Only | Employer Paid - No Cost to Employee |
Employee + Spouse | $418/month (split over 2 paychecks) |
Employee + Children | $396/month (split over 2 paychecks) |
Family (Employee + Spouse + Children) | $480/month (split over 2 paychecks) |
Deductible (in-network) | $500 per person / $1000 per family |
Coinsurance (in-network) | 80% plan pays / 20% employee pays |
Out-of-Pocket Maximum (in-network) | $2500 per person / $5000 per family |
Employees and covered family members receive an annual preventive care benefit with no cost each year when using in-network providers. Deductible waived for this benefit.
Dental Insurance
The Springfield Police Officers Association (SPOA) offers a voluntary dental insurance plan to its members. Premiums are 100% employee paid through payroll deduction.
Package | Monthly Premium |
---|---|
Employee Only | $40.00 |
Employee + Spouse | $84.00 |
Employee + Child(ren) | $96.00 |
Family | $120.00 |
*Officers who are not members of SPOA are eligible for coverage offered by the City.
Vision Insurance
The SPOA offers a voluntary vision insurance plan to SPOA members. Premiums are 100% employee paid through payroll deduction.
Package | Monthly Premium |
---|---|
Employee Only | $9.00 |
Employee + Spouse | $18.00 |
Employee + Child(ren) | $18.00 |
Employee + Family | $29.00 |
Term Life Insurance
Voluntary term life insurance is offered by the SPOA to its members. Premiums are 100% employee paid through payroll deduction.
Premium rates are $18.50 per month for $50,000 coverage for the employee. Additional employee coverage is available for purchase. Rates are based on age and amount of additional coverage elected. Coverage for spouse and children can also be purchased.
*Officers who are not members of SPOA are eligible for coverage offered by the City.
Cafeteria Plan IRS Section 125
This voluntary plan is available to regular, full-time employees and allows for the payment of Health, Dental, Life and Cancer Insurance premiums and qualified Dependent Care Expenses & Medical Expenses on a pre-tax basis. Elected contributions are not subject to State or Federal income taxes or FICA tax.
Prescription Drug Plan
Prescription Drug Plan administered by Elixir. Retail pharmacy coverage: $5 co-pay per 30 day fill plus 20% of the remainder of the prescription cost; maximum fill of 90 days. Mail order coverage: 20% of cost limited to a 90-day supply per prescription. Mandatory generic: If plan participant elects brand name over generic, cost is the $5 co-pay (waived for mail order), plus 20%, plus the difference in price between the generic and brand name. Out-of-Network (filing prescription claim with Med-Pay): after deductible is met, plan pays 60% of covered prescriptions.
Please refer to the Health Plan Summary or the Health Plan Document for details of Plan coverage. You may also view the City's Summary of Benefits and Coverage Under the ACA.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the HIPAA Privacy Rule to implement the requirements of HIPAA. The HIPAA Security Rule protects a subset of information covered by the Privacy Rule. Read the City's Notice of Privacy Practices According to HIPAA for additional details.
Local Government Employees Retirement System (LAGERS) Pension Program
We are especially proud of our retirement program which includes the most robust option (L-11) available through MO-LAGERS, and is 100% paid by the City, requiring no employee contribution. The City’s defined benefit pension plan through Missouri LAGERS provides permanent, protected and guaranteed benefits for the lifetime of the LAGERS eligible member. Employees are vested after 5 years and service time in the plan may travel with the member to other public employers in Missouri.
Police Officers are eligible to retire with unreduced benefits at age 55. A vested Officer may elect to retire with reduced benefits as early as age 50.
Use this calculator to see what LAGERS is worth to you. Input a salary amount, which represents an employee's final annual salary, select years of service, and calculate an estimated benefit.
This calculator is designed to be an estimate of your future benefit, and is not to be utilized as an official LAGERS benefit calculator. For official calculator, see your benefit statement or speak with a Benefit Specialist.
Learn more about LAGERS here.
MissionSquare Retirement Deferred Compensation Plan (457(b) Plan)
The 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan is offered through MissionSquare Retirement. This plan allows employees to defer wages directly from their paycheck, pre-tax, into a retirement savings account. The City contributes a flat match of $10.00 per pay period when an employee contributes at least $10.00 per pay period.
The City understands the importance of work/life balance and offers generous leave options to Officers. Officers begin earning leave time right away, and that time increases with years of service!
Below are the different types of paid leave currently offered to Springfield Officers:
Vacation
Years of service | Annual vacation |
---|---|
1-7 years | 80 hours |
8-15 years | 120 hours |
16+ years | 160 hours |
Continuous Operation Holiday
The Springfield Police Department offers service to the community 24/7, year-round. Because of this, Officers are required to work on regular City holidays or are off on certain holidays as a result of their off-duty day falling on the holiday. Officers receive 10 days off per year, in the form of Continuous Operation leave time.
Sick Leave
Officers receive 96 hours annually (max accrual of 1440 hours). Sick time can be used for illness, preventive health, or other medical needs for the Officer and the Officer's spouse, children or parents.
Floating Holidays
In addition to vacation and continuous operation holidays, Officers earn 3 floating holidays per year to be used at the Officer's discretion.
Pin Day
A thank you for your service time - one day off is awarded on 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, etc. year anniversaries.
Military Leave
An Officer who is a member of the National Guard or any reserve component of the United States Armed Forces is eligible for a total of 120 hours leave per federal fiscal year without a reduction in pay upon furnishing the City with appropriate orders.
Jury Duty
An Officer may be granted leave with pay when required to be absent from work for jury duty.
Funeral Leave
Officers may be granted up to 5 working days leave in the event of the death of an eligible relative as listed in the Merit Rules
InBalance
inBalance is the City of Springfield Employee Wellness Program that provides a wide variety of programs and services to positively influence overall well-being. inBalance was created as a direct response to feedback provided in an employee survey, and is a program that readily adapts to the changing needs and desires of City employees. inBalance serves City employees and their families in such a way that makes the City of Springfield a great place to work.
Employee Assistance Program
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a service the City provides free of charge to all employees and their families. The EAP is designed to help employees meet life’s challenges, including personal and work-related problems.
Services provided through the EAP are confidential and include short-term counseling, along with a variety of other resources including referrals, education materials, self-help tools, and self-assessment exercises on a wide array of current topics. Eligible employees may take advantage of the EAP services effective their first day of employment; there is no waiting period.
Some of the additional services offered include:
- Personal money management;
- Childcare and eldercare resources;
- Legal advice and discounts;
- Identity theft assistance;
- ...and more!
Officer Wellness Committee
The Officer Wellness Committee (OWC) consists of both sworn and non-sworn members of the Police Department. The OWC is committed to adding programs and policies for the betterment of Police Department employees and their families.
The OWC is comprised of three sub-committees: Peer Support, Mental Health, and Physical Health.
- Peer Support: Designed to provide Police Officers with emotional support through times of professional or personal crisis. Officers trained in this capacity can be called upon to provide this support for their fellow officers.
- Physical Health: This sub-committee’s goal is to provide Officers with resources to assist them with their physical health. Most recently, this committee was responsible for bringing the Rock Tape program to SPD. Rock Tape is a brand of kinesiology tape that assists with sports injuries and athletic soreness.
- Mental Health: This sub-committee works hand-in-hand with the Peer Support sub-committee to provide officers with resources for the betterment of their mental health.
The OWC is proud to announce the addition of the Cordico Mobile Device Application for all officers (current and retired) and their families effective July 2021. Cordico is a wellness application that Officers can download to their smartphone. This app provides a centralized location for Officers to access resources such as peer support, chaplain support or even therapists.
Wellness through the Springfield Police Officer's Association
The Springfield Police Officer's Association (SPOA) offers support to it's members by paying for up to five visits to a mental health provider.
We welcome candidates from near and far and strive to make the testing and relocation process easier. If you are considering relocating, click here to learn about our wonderful community.
Testing
To help with costs incurred from traveling to participate in entry testing, travel vouchers are provided.
Distance Traveled | Travel Assistance Provided |
---|---|
50-150 miles | $50 travel voucher |
150 miles or more | $125 travel voucher and 1 overnight hotel accommodation |
Follow-up Testing and Post Offer
During the post-offer phase of the Officer selection process, on-site testing is required such as a polygraph and psychological examination. Testing is coordinated and accommodations are made so that the least amount of travel is required of our candidates. Additional assistance is available to help with costs incurred for both Police Recruits and Lateral Officer candidates.
Distance traveled | Travel Assistance Provided |
---|---|
150 miles or more | $125 travel voucher per visit and 1 overnight hotel accommodation |
50-150 miles | $50 travel voucher per visit |
Relocation
We love welcoming new Officers to our wonderful community. To make things easier, we offer relocation reimbursement. This benefit is offered to both new Recruits and Lateral Officer candidates.
Distance Traveled | Reimbursement Amount |
---|---|
50-150 miles | Up to $500 |
150-300 miles | Up to $1,500 |
More than 300 miles | Up to $2,500 |
Clothing Allowance
Officers receive a semi-annual clothing allowance of $725.
New Officers are issued uniforms and equipment for the Academy and field training.
Any Officer leaving the City within one year of employment is required to return all uniforms and equipment. New Officers are not eligible to receive the uniform allowance until one year from their Academy graduation date.
Educational Incentive
Police Officers (after graduation from the Academy), Corporals and Sergeants are eligible to receive an educational incentive for a degree in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement or a related field.
Degree | Minimum hours in related field | Annual incentive |
---|---|---|
Associate's | 21 | $200 |
Bachelor's | 33 | $500 |
Tuition Reimbursement
The City values development of our employees! One unique thing about our tuition reimbursement program is that we will reimburse employees for any field of study, even if the course is not related to the employee's job. Classes must be taken at an accredited college or university and the reimbursement amount is based on the grade received.
Grade | Reimbursement amount |
---|---|
A | 100% |
B | 90% |
C | 80% |
Passing, but less than C | 50% |
Pass/Fail Classes | 80% |
*Tuition reimbursement is available to regular, full-time and part-time employees only
Police Academy & Training opportunities
SPD values and prioritizes training and offers one of the best programs in the state. This includes the Academy for new Officers and on-going training for career development, growth and promotion across the Department.
We offer a diverse array of special assignments including Investigations, Crime Analysis, Community Policing, University assignments, Training and more.
24-Hour Fitness Access
Springfield Police Officers have physically demanding jobs and are expected to maintain a certain level of physical ability. The Police and Fire Training Center is open to all SPD employees and includes 24-hour access to two fully-equipped fitness training facilities, a defensive tactics room that can be used for a variety of fitness activities, and an outdoor running track.
Additionally, the City of Springfield's InBalance wellness program offers discounted individual and family memberships to all of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board's family centers, as well as a variety of other program discounts.