LAS VEGAS – While law enforcement agencies across the country have been hampered finding new police officers, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says they finally have seen a rise in recruitment after slumping for several years.
LVMPD saw a September class for the police academy that boasted more than 70 students, which is a commendable number for the police agency, KVVU-TV reported.
Sgt. John Deschutter heads the agency’s recruiting. He says the rise in numbers can be attributed to multiple factors, which include:
- Aggressive recruiting strategies and outreach involving military members.
- Return of their Cadet Program.
The Cadet Program helps 18-year-olds get a job with LVMPD right out of high school; cadets can be eligible for the police academy once they turn 21, according to the news outlet.
“We’re seeing there’s a lot of motivated people that want to join the police force at 18. By the time you go to the academy at 21, you’re ready-made for the job. And we’re not losing people at 18 to 21 to various other careers. We’re keeping them local and keeping them in-house with us,” DeSchutter said.
Furthermore, outreach events such as Coffee with a Cop and Santa Cops have been vital to connecting with the community and boosting their standing with citizens, he said.
“Without the community support, we wouldn’t be where we are in the recruiting numbers that we’re at,” DeSchutter said.
For more information about becoming a police officer with LVMPD, click here.
