19827.1. (a) The state recognizes the historic problem of recruitment and retention of peace officers in the Department of Corrections and the Department of Youth Authority. As evidence of this recognition there has been a trend in recent years to improve salaries and benefits for these correctional peace officers. However, due to the continuing need to recruit new officers to fill vacancies, retain seasoned correctional peace officers to reduce turnover rates, and provide comparability in pay to effectively compete with large peace officer employers and ensure necessary staffing levels, salaries must be improved and maintained by the state for peace officers in the Department of Corrections and the Department of the Youth Authority.(b) To effect the intent of paragraph (a) the department shall take into consideration the salary and benefits of other large employers of peace officers in California.(Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 290, Sec. 1.)