Does your police department have enough officers?

Chattanooga, TN (WDEF) Many local law enforcement agencies are looking for more officers.
“When we have positions that open up, it seems like we have a smaller pool of applicants” said Cleveland Police Chief Mark Gibson.

A quick Google search will show you that the majority of the law enforcement agencies in our area are trying to recruit officers … That raises the question,  why is there such a shortage of applicants????

Sheriff Jim Hammond said “It is a tough job. It is one of the hardest jobs to get your foot in the door, because of the vetting process.”

Like the sheriff said, being a police officer is a tough job.  According to a recent wallet hub study, it’s a job that is tougher to do it in certain places.  The study ranked Tennessee as the 46th worst state to be a police officer, thanks to a number of factors that included crime rates, public image, and pay scale…  Sheriff Jim Hammond Mentioned Pay as one of the things that he would like to see change…

“The biggest thing for me is to push to get the wage up to a more decent wage.”

Law enforcement has been referred to as more of a calling than a job. Agencies are trying to reach out to young people  about possible careers in law enforcement, but that doesn’t change the fact that….

“Law enforcement is a mans mans job, and it is becoming a womans womans jobs too” said Sheriff Hammond.

So only a certain type of applicant will succeed. It’s a very physical job, requiring a clean record. It’s also hard work filled with dangers, and risks, but you can make a difference….

Chief Gibson said “If you do a professional job, you can have a long career and have a positive career in law enforcement.”