IMPD ramping up recruitment efforts as the department looks to add new officers
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Many police departments across the state are ramping up their recruitment efforts as they work to find qualified candidates to become officers. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is one of those departments.
This is the first year in a while they have had extra money in the budget to use on recruitment efforts and the department is working to find new and creative ways to reach people interested in joining the department.
There are billboards and signs around the city in both English and Spanish. There are commercials and videos online as well. All of it is part of the department’s effort to hire 40 new officers.
“There have been many times where folks don’t even know that their police department is hiring,” said Officer Jim Gillespie with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Reaching qualified candidates can be tough for local departments.
“When you go into a college campus for a job fair you might reach a couple hundred people at that point in time and the flyers might be put up, you might reach a few people that way,” said Officer Gillespie.
Now the department is reaching more people than ever before.
A Facebook live video posted Friday afternoon already has more than 3,000 views. The recruiting unit will continue to monitor the comments on that video and answer them for potential recruits.
“It opens up the city of Indianapolis and IMPD to the entire world. Anybody that is watching from anywhere can go ahead and look at that and see that, hey you know what they are hiring,” said Officer Gillespie.
If you’re interested in learning more about requirements, salary or the application process click here.
The deadline to apply is March 19, 2017.