Police departments are struggling to hire new cops
Fox News
Police departments across the country are struggling to hire new cops and it’s now forcing cities to get creative. The Phoenix Police Department is looking out of state to fill more than 300 open positions. They’re also raising annual salaries, offering hiring bonuses, and turning to social media to spread the word. Everything from politics, to the job market, and overall lack of interest is to blame, they say.
To help fill more than 300 open positions, recruiters are expanding their search across the country, posting ads on Twitter to entice people to leave the snow behind this winter and come work in sunny Phoenix.
"Our data shows that the Midwest states are kind of flirting with our website or clicking on our social media," said Sergeant Brad Rebic with the Phoenix Police Department’s Employment Services Bureau. "Times are tough, and we're hoping to go out to the Midwest, and be able to bring back some of those potential new recruits to the department."
Nationwide, recruiting and retaining officers is reaching crisis levels. Everything from politics to the job market is taking its toll.