The Denton Police Department has revamped its recruitment efforts, and the results have started to show.
The next Denton Police Department Training Academy will have 12 recruits. That鈥檚 a record high compared to the average five to seven recruits.
Law enforcement agencies are facing a severe shortage of qualified job seekers, the International Association of Chiefs of Police reports. Denton is no exception.
鈥淚n my career of 17 years, it鈥檚 been up and down,鈥� said training and recruitment Lt. Preston Pohler. 鈥淏ut I think all the challenges back in 2020 with George Floyd and then COVID, with those combined, we really saw our numbers drop at least in our department 鈥� but really everybody.鈥�
Many years ago, the profession would have several hopefuls vying for a single position. However, in recent years, public information liaison Amy Cunningham said there have been many open positions with few qualified applicants.
Waiting for recruits to come to the department doesn鈥檛 cut it anymore. So, Cunningham said they started taking a more proactive approach and worked extensively with the city鈥檚 marketing department.
To start, Pohler said one of the greatest changes has been the creation of an auxiliary recruitment team. Currently, Pohler has one sergeant and two investigators on the recruitment team. But the auxiliary team adds another 16 officers.
鈥淲e picked, in my honest opinion, the best of the best folks that we love to represent our agency,鈥� Pohler said. 鈥淭hey have their normal, full-time duties. What I really like is it鈥檚 a cross-section of folks in patrol, detectives and other areas of the department. I have them all as a team.鈥�
It鈥檚 not the executive staff who are the biggest draw for recruits, Assistant Chief Tony Salas said, but the officers who speak highly of their experiences working for the department.
Pohler said the department has also been hosting and tabling at more events than ever before to engage potential recruits. The team visited Fort Cavazos near Killeen, for example, to recruit former military personnel.
The department is starting to see the fruits of its labor now. Pohler said that 120 people passed the last civil service test, which is about triple what the department has had in the past.
From that pool, the department will have 12 recruits in the next academy starting in October.
鈥淚 think all of that together has created some momentum that I hope to carry on,鈥� Pohler said. 鈥�... We鈥檙e unique in that we get to run our own academy. Not a lot of agencies get to do that. So, the goal is to keep that momentum going. We want 12 to 15 recruits for each academy.鈥�
Cunningham said has been an enthusiastic supporter of the recruitment efforts.
Robledo started a new tradition for the department on Friday: the first inaugural Chief鈥檚 Run. The chief and members of the department joined a class of seven graduating recruits for a mile run around Quakertown Park.
The purpose of the run, Robledo said, is to make recruits feel like they have the support of their department and to foster a sense of community early on in their careers.
鈥淵ou bring your jagged pieces to the job. You have family issues, broken relationships, life happens,鈥� Robledo said. 鈥淲e need to do better with mental health and resilience for these officers. I鈥檝e always been an advocate for that.鈥�
Denton recruit Charles Sinclair said he didn鈥檛 have any easy start to life. As a patrol officer, he hopes to help young kids who need help the way he did stay on the straight and narrow.
As Robledo鈥檚 goal, Sinclair said he has felt very welcomed by the department so far.
鈥淭he staff has been very welcoming and Chief Robledo is great,鈥� Sinclair said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been very sweet and humble. The whole department鈥檚 been very kind. I spent some years in the military. So, the difference in attitude and atmosphere is definitely noticeable.鈥�