Officers Down
Police department turns to unusual recruiting tactics
By Donna C. Gregory ASSISTANT EDITOR

Demetrius Parrott (above) builds his strength and endurance while attending a police academy. Parrott's recruit class graduated last month. Police recruiter Elliot Anderson (right) discusses employment opportunities available through the Chesterfield Police Department with Rickey Lewis at a job fair. In addition to job fairs, Anderson scouts for future patrol officers in some more unlikely places such as shopping malls, barbershops and fall festivals.

It's not uncommon to see Elliot Anderson, of the Chesterfield Police Department, at shopping malls, barbershops and boat shows these days. But, he's not working security or apprehending shoplifters.

He's looking for future police officers.

These are just a few of the unusual places Anderson now travels as a recruiter for the county's police department. The department is currently down by 38 patrol officers, and is having to get creative when it comes to finding applicants to fill open positions.

"It's more difficult to recruit qualified applicants," says Anderson. "To get people, you've got to get outside the box. I think I've seen the inside of every mall [in the Richmond metro] 100 times this year."

He's also handed out business cards at air shows, women's shows and fall festivals, and is asking local churches to include job announcements in their Sunday bulletins.

"It's never ending," says Anderson. "You've constantly got to hustle to find these people."

Unfilled job openings for patrol officers cost the police department about $150,000 a year in overtime pay. "Vacant positions mean we have to work harder with less people," says Lt. Colonel Jim Bourque, of the Chesterfield Police Department. "We have to be very careful that it doesn't impact our calls for service."

Traditionally, police recruiters looked to college campuses and military bases to find prospective employees, but that's changed as fewer people choose law enforcement as a career and many military personnel are serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Low pay and dangerous work conditions also make police work a tough sell. The starting salary for a patrol officer in Chesterfield is $36,000 per year plus benefits. Top pay for a patrol officer is $63,943 annually.

Recruit Erik Souders practices scaling a fence while training to become a patrol officer with the Chesterfield Police Department.

The department loses about seven percent of its officers each year due to retirement and officers moving on to other employment.

"We have more people who are getting college degrees who want to use them to make more money," explains Anderson. "It's also difficult because there are more police departments. We're all competing for the same [labor] pool."

"The economy is such that people aren't looking for police jobs unless they have a special interest in it," adds Bourque. "When the economy is good, there are more jobs out there, and when there are more jobs, people can be choosier. This is not unique to Chesterfield County. It's pretty much an issue across Virginia and the United States."

"The requirements are so tight for police positions as it relates to background checks," continues Bourque. "I think a number of people are intimidated by the process."

Applicants are required to undergo a background check, and pass a physical examination, polygraph test and psychological screening.

"Some people find that pretty daunting," admits Bourque.

Police work also isn't a good fit for everyone. "It really is a calling," explains Bourque. "There's a somewhat romantic notice sometimes of what policing is all about. There are some very exciting moments in police work, but there are also some very boring moments."

About 50 percent of the police department's new hires are recruited locally while the rest move here from out-of-state.

"Our attrition rate is very low, but it's been difficult to recruit in and around the Richmond area, so we do a fair amount of recruiting outside of the Richmond area," explains Bourque. "We started maybe 10 years ago really having to reach out. Many departments have had to do this."

Anderson often travels to Boston and New York City in search of patrol officers. The department has also recruited in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, N.Y., Springfield, Mass., and Niagara Falls.

"In those environments, it's very difficult to get a police job, because they're union and it's a civil service process," explains Anderson. Particularly in the northeastern states, those who want to work as police officers often have to pay for their own tests and police academy, which can cost $2,000-$3,000.

Since Chesterfield's police department picks up the tab for testing and police academy costs, the department has been fairly successful in persuading police officers from up north to relocate to the county.

The police department also has a pre-certified officer program, which offers incentive pay to police officers from other jurisdictions if they move to Chesterfield. Officers who transfer typically complete an abbreviated academy, since they have prior experience.

A police academy just started for 13 new recruits. Anderson hopes to send another pool of recruits to police academy in February.

"We're always accepting applications," says Bourque.

For more information on job openings with the police department, call 748-1547 or visit www.chesterfield.gov.