Metro Police Agencies Remain Competitive As They Recruit New Officers

The Oklahoma City Police Department introduced some huge incentives Thursday afternoon to get extra recruits within the door.  

Several departments within the state of Oklahoma are fighting recruitment. 

While there are a number of choices, Edmond Police is true there with OCPD relating to a beginning wage 

“Every police department is hiring, not just in the state, but again in the country and we are all competing for the same individuals,” Wade Gourley, the Chief of Police for the Oklahoma City Police Department, stated. 

Agencies are actually getting artistic to get recruits, for Oklahoma City meaning a 24 p.c improve of their beginning wage together with a $10,000 signing bonus. 

“That brings their salary to $61,700. Current police officers that have two years experience, they are going to start at $65,270, but they must go through the entire academy,” Gourley stated.  

Their neighbors up north on the Edmond Police Department are proper there with them. 

“Once you’re accepted into the academy you will get paid through the 21-week course, and that salary is 62,114 a year. Once you complete the academy and you complete field training, which is your process after you graduate the academy, but before you’re out on your own, it goes up to over 68,000,” Emily Ward, the Public Information Officer for the Edmond Police Department, stated

Oklahoma City Police will kick off their first academy in a few weeks.  

The Edmond Police Department is accepting functions by Jan. 6 and can begin the academy on June 12.   

“I think that we have a lot of great agencies around us. There are a lot of choices here in the metro and we’re all different in different ways,” Ward stated.  

One of these variations is the sort of dwelling every metropolis has to supply.  

“Edmond is a small-town feel, and Oklahoma City is a big town. You have to just decide what is right for you as you get into this career. We are a very small agency with civilians and everything, I think we are around 128. You know everybody in the building, and that is different than some other agencies…that is really special,” she stated.  

Both departments supply full advantages together with incentives like tuition reimbursement.