TPD looks to fill 30 vacancies this year

By Ki-Jana King
Outlook writer

Potential police officers from Texas, Ohio and other states gather once each year in Atlanta, Georgia in hopes of landing a job.
Recruiters from Tallahassee Police Department go there, too, hoping to land some of those prospects.

 
The Atlanta recruitment fair is one of the hotbeds that TPD chief Michael DeLeo has turned to in order to reach his goal to beef up the Tallahassee police force to 410 by the end of this year.

 
DeLeo first announced the goal six months ago, when he gave a report to the City Commission. The meeting was primarily an opportunity for DeLeo to explain to city officials his strategy for combating Tallahassee’s high crime rate.

 
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement last year ranked Tallahassee with the highest crime rate in the state for two consecutive years.
During his report to the city commission, DeLeo cited the man shortage as part of the problem in fighting crime. Currently TPD has 380 officers, with plans to add another 30.

 
The push to fill the vacancies will help the city keep pace with growth, said Damon Miller, public information officer for TPD.

 
However, as dire as the situation is, TPD faces a challenge when it’s recruiting future police officers. Background checks often revealed that some applicants have a questionable past that disqualified them.

 
City Commissioner Scott Maddox, who was vehement in his concern about how TPD is pursuing criminal activities, agreed that hiring officers comes with the challenge of getting qualified candidates.

 
“When we trust a person with a badge, a gun and the color of law we want to ensure that they are a good person,” he said, adding: “Our hiring process is very detail oriented.”

 
An applicant who checks out, moves on to the academy for paid training.

 
That includes uniform, equipment and transportation.