Arresting development: Local law enforcement says social issues contribute to applicant shortages - Texarkana Gazette

In the mid-1990s, Texarkana Texas police officer applicants would fill the gymnasium at Southwest Center to take the civil service test. The entire room might be competing for one or two positions.

These days, there are more openings and only a handful of people who even want to take the test.

"That gym was full when I took my test," said Wake Village Police Sgt. Todd Aultman. "We have two openings right now and we are not getting any interest," he said.

"Ten years ago, we might have seen 50 or more people take the civil service test," said Shawn Vaughn, spokesman for Texarkana Texas Police Department. "However, we only had 20 when we last gave a test a couple months ago."

Texarkana Arkansas Police Chief Kristi Bennett said when she took the civil service test in 2004, there were probably more than 80 people also taking the test.

TAPD just gave a civil service test. "Guess how many people took it?" Bennett asked. "Four."

According to a study in late 2020, nearly nine in 10 police departments in the United States experienced staffing issues.

The National Police Foundation reports 86% of law enforcement agencies nationwide are experiencing a shortage.

"It's been a struggle for everybody," Vaughn said. "While this time seems more pronounced than others I've seen before, there have always been ups and downs in efforts recruiting police officers. Over the course of my 35-year career, I've noticed that these trends tend to be cyclical and are influenced by a lot of larger economic and social issues that are completely outside our ability at the police department to do anything about."

The written test is only the first step in becoming a police officer. Other steps in the employment process include a physical assessment, comprehensive background investigation, psychological exam, medical exam, oral board interview and a polygraph exam.

"Issues or concerns that come to light about an applicant's suitability in any of those steps will result in them being disqualified. Only a small percentage of applicants ever make it to employment as a police officer," Vaughn said.

TTPD has 91 budgeted police officer positions, with five unfilled at this time, one recruit in the basic academy, and four completing field training program.

"We would obviously prefer that all positions were filled but that, quite honestly, seldom happens as the result of normal staff turnover. As these openings happen, we occasionally have to temporarily shift officers from specialized positions (such as traffic enforcement or neighborhood area coordinator) to ensure that we have enough officers to answer calls for service," Vaughn said.

One of the challenges of law enforcement is the time it takes to train new officers, Vaughn said.

In Texarkana, Texas it's almost a full year after someone is hired before he or she qualifies to work independently as a police officer. The basic police academy is slightly longer than six months, and the field training program provides each new officer with an additional four to five months of on-the-job training working daily with a senior officer.

"A few years ago, we were able to start offering lateral entry pay (up to five years) for any experienced officer and a $3,000 hiring bonus to any new officer who already is a licensed peace officer in Texas. This allows us to significantly shorten the initial training period because the new officer would have already been through the police academy. They would be able to immediately enter the field training program and be able to work by themselves within a matter of a few months," he said.

Texarkana, Arkansas, has 82 police positions, with 72 filled.

"It's hard because it's a 24-7 operation and we have to continue to provide coverage for the city even when we are down positions," Bennett said.

Scrutiny of police officers in recent years probably plays a factor in people not wanting to go into police work, Bennett said.

"The difference is that we have immense support here from our city and community," she said.

Miller County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mark Lewis said MCSO is no different when it comes to lack of applicants.

"We are seeing it on both sides of the house, deputies and correctional officers," he said. "And we are having trouble retaining officers."

The shortages affect the budget because of money spent on paying officers overtime to fill shifts.

"It's a vicious cycle," Lewis said.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson recently signed into law two bills that open the door for a more than $11,000 increase in the starting salary for state police troopers and a one-time stipend for several thousands of local and state law enforcement officers.

Bennett and Lewis said the bills are a positive incentive.

"It's nice for the recognition as much as it is the stipend," Lewis said.

Wake Village, Texas, is a small department compared to TTPD or TAPD, with only nine officer positions allotted. An empty position or two is deeply felt by the rest of the force, Aultman said.

Aultman said his department has openings but declined to disclose how many.

Police work has never been the most financially lucrative career. But most departments in the Texarkana area believe they are on par with many other cities when it comes to pay.

'I don't think it's the money," Aultman said. "I think just fewer people want to go into law enforcement."

Aultman thinks there are several factors in the lack of applicants, including social ones. A main one being the highly publicized cases of alleged police brutality in some cities.

He also refers to the trend of the younger generation wanting a better work-life balance than previous generations had.

"The millennials just want different things," he said

Bowie County Sheriff Jeff Neal also believes national views toward law enforcement have influenced younger generations.

"While our community has been and remains supportive of their law enforcement personnel, I believe the negative national sentiment towards law enforcement has led our younger generations, who would have chosen a profession in law enforcement, to choose a different career path. We are also seeing certified peace officers leave the law enforcement field completely for civilian employment," Neal said.

Vaughn said the bottom line is there is a lot of competition across the board now for government and businesses alike to try attract the best applicants. However, TTPD is committed to providing public services and regional leadership that serves both our residents and visitors alike while offering a safe and welcoming community, he said.

"Despite the challenges of recruiting officers, we refuse to lower our department hiring standards simply to fill open positions. Our success as a law enforcement agency is dependent upon having the absolute best people available working as police officers. We simply can't ever afford as a community or a department to compromise those standards," he said.

Police work is consistent work, Bennett said. It's not a career where layoffs are a concern. But at the same time, people who consider a career in law enforcement need to be in it for the right reasons.

"You have to have the right mindset. It's a calling. Not just a paycheck," Bennett said.

source: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/2022/mar/12/arresting-development-local-law-enforcement-says/

Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.