CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Police Department held the first of three community forums Tuesday in the agency's latest push to add more badges to its ranks.
CPD's Recruiting Unit hosted the Q&A at District 3 headquarters in Cincinnati's west side.
This latest hiring push is for the upcoming recruiting class slated to begin in May 2023. It comes after a disappointing August recruitment turnout.
As WCPO reported earlier this month, there are 33 people in the current police academy, 21 short of the 54 recruit goal.
"In the past we would post the test and you had thousands of people come out and take the test and that's just not the case anymore," Sergeant Dwayne Wilson said.
Wilson oversees recruitment for CPD. He said officer numbers started to dwindle in recent years.
"Just because of various reasons, being on the heels of the pandemic, it's really hard to get people to start being policemen, firefighters, teachers," he said.
Pay has also contributed to low interest.
Currently, starting recruits make $39,887.26 annually, or $19.25 an hour.
On Monday, however, the Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously to increase starting pay to $25 an hour. That adds up to $52,000 a year.
If the ordinance passes with a final vote Wednesday, CPD would be able to start offering $2,000 signing bonuses to any recruits who complete the 28-week training period, plus an additional $2,000 for those with prior police experience.
"The compensation is always good, but you really have to want to be a policeman and help people," Wilson said. "That's the main thing that you get from this job, is the self-satisfaction of helping your community, your fellow man, your fellow woman out."
Applications for the upcoming May recruiting class will be accepted until October 23. Testing for that class is set for mid-November.
The recruitment goal is 35.
CPD has two more forums planned for next week. A Q&A will be held at District 4 on October 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. followed by an open house at the training academy on October 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
"The profession does have a black eye on it," Wilson said. "In order to change things, you have to be a part of the solution and that's what we want people to do: come out and join us and be a part of the community and be a part of the solution."
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