Know Any Potential New Police Recruits? Listen Up!

All my police and sheriff’s department friends have expressed concern this past year about how short staffed they are and how hard it is to hire new members to their department. Everyone has their own theories for the problem, COVID fatigue, racial and political unrest, or a combination of the two.

Knowing their are all under stress, it was good news to hear recently that some help is on the way, at lest for some departments. The U.S. Justice Department will provide $139 million in grant money to police departments to help add 1,066 new officers to the national cadre, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced.

Getting help with 50 new officers is San Francisco, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Houston. Money for another 30 officers each will go to New Orleans, Cleveland, and St. Paul, Minnesota. Smaller departments also will benefit to a lesser extent with 183 different departments receiving new officers. Just under 600 departments applied hoping to hired about 3,000 officers in all, telegraphing the need.

The Department of Justice money is handed out by a team I really respect, the Community Oriented Policing Services group supporting the COPS Hiring Program.

This money will go towards news positions, which is valuable since cities and towns rarely have the chance to add full-time new positions to their department.

I’m thrilled about this valuable use of federal funds, but concerned with the ongoing challenge departments have to find and hire qualified new officers. If you know potentially qualified candidates, encourage them to join the other dedicated and overworked officers current on the job. And tell them thanks.