The number of people who want to become a police officer has dropped significantly over the years, but police in Worcester, Massachusetts, are trying to spread that word that even one officer can make a big difference.
“Recruiting has taken a turn," said Worcester Police Sgt. Angel Miranda, who is in charge of recruitment for the department. "When I took the test 28 years ago, 10,000 people taking the test. Now we’ve seen those numbers dwindle.”
Miranda says the Worcester Police Department is currently down almost 50 officers
“Forty-six officers short is a lot," he said. "Plus we also have approximately 16-18 officers that are injured on duty as well so that adds up.”
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And police work can be a tough sell.
First you have to pass the civil service exam, which comes around once a year. Then it usually takes another year before you can start the academy.
“It takes six months from start of academy to graduation, then officers hit the road when they graduate and join the department,” Worcester Police Lt. Sean Murtha explained.
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So the Worcester Police Department is coming up with creative ways to recruit a diverse workforce, like creating content for social media.
“We have people assigned full time to recruitment go to job fairs… spread the word to try to get people to take the exam," Murtha said.
Miranda says they want to make sure everyone in the community is represented, and to show people what real policing is all about.
“I grew up here in the city. I grew up in the projects and just going through the process and seeing another officer that looks like me -- that was huge,” Miranda said.
"I think if you speak to people who are on the job, most people wouldn’t do anything else,” Murtha said. "If it’s something you think you’d like to do, it’s probably is for you."
“If you like to help people this is one the best jobs, careers period that’s out there,” Miranda said.
The deadline for the annual civil service exam is Jan. 16. More information can be found on the Worcester Police Department's Facebook page.
