BEAUMONT, Texas — Amid a shortage of officers, the Beaumont Police Department is actively hiring and encouraging those interested to apply.
The area department is not alone in its hiring struggles. Police departments across the country are struggling to recruit and retain new officers, and officials believe the cause is due to a variety of reasons.
The Beaumont Police Department has eight open positions, according to Beaumont Police Chief Jim Singletary.
Chief Singletary has held his position since 2011. He said it has never been this difficult to recruit and retain officers.
One of the main reasons the department is struggling to retain officers is due to recruits seeking better pay at other departments, according to Chief Singletary. The chief said several officers have left for smaller departments that are "catching up to BPD" in terms of salary.
"Unfortunately, sometimes we train officers four or five years, three to five years, and they have all this experience and all this training, and they go some place else where they can make more money," Chief Singletary said
The Beaumont Police Department has had to compete with companies such as Exxon and Valero when it comes to recruiting new candidates.
Mark Broome is a current instructor at Lamar University, a former FBI agent and worked with the Beaumont Police Department for years. He believes the dangers of the job are also contributing to more officers leaving the force.
"We ask police officers to do things that have nothing to do with enforcing the law," Broome said. "Police are always the last resort."
Chief Singletary agrees.
"This is one of the most difficult times in our history to hire qualified young men and women who want to get into law enforcement,” Chief Singletary said.
Broome believes officers might leave for other agencies around the country who have lowered their standards. These standards could include requiring fewer college hours to become an officer.
"If everybody who wanted to be a police officer got hired, there wouldn't be a shortage,” Broome said. "The difficulty comes in making sure the people who are selected are those folks who should be carrying a gun and a badge."
While some officers are worn out from working overtime due to the shortage, Chief Singletree said spirits and the morale and the Beaumont Police Department remain high.
"It's just a tough time and we're gonna continue to try new things to get the qualified folks," Chief Singletary said.
Chief Singletary said the Beaumont Police Department is actively recruiting new officers. Anyone who would like to join, can apply online at cityofbeaumontjobs.com or call 409-880-3812.
The starting pay for a Beaumont Police officer is $66,420.
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