The North Little Rock Police Department is fully staffed for the first time in about 20 years after four new officers joined the agency Friday.
In fact, the new recruits raised the number of sworn officers at the department higher than the 186 it's authorized to employ, according to police spokesman Sgt. Brian Dedrick. He said additional hires were made to replace officers who will soon retire.
The Police Department was among many across the country that have struggled to fill their ranks in recent years.
From the metropolises of New York and Houston to smaller cities -- including Sauk City, Wis., and Monte Vista, Colo. -- police departments have reported significant officer shortages. Law enforcement groups have linked the shortages to heightened public scrutiny of police and a labor market that has become more competitive as the economy has improved.
"We've never been real far down, like some departments," Dedrick said of staffing. "But it's been a while since we've been fully staffed."
Dedrick recalled his first year with the Police Department in 1997 as the last time there were no vacancies in the North Little Rock agency.
North Little Rock police had 10 vacancies when the department revamped its recruiting program earlier this year. The department in February stopped testing applicants a few times annually and began testing them at least twice per month. It also began accepting job applications online.
The changes shortened the hiring process from about six months to three.
The department also began offering higher starting salaries for experienced officers. In the past, any officer joining the department was paid the rookie salary of $38,600. But under the new pay system, officers with two years of experience start at $40,600 per year. Officers with five years of experience start at $45,749 per year.
Dedrick on Friday said the new pay system led several officers to join the North Little Rock Police Department from other law enforcement agencies. He said he did not remember which agencies.
The four officers sworn in Friday are all rookies.
Dedrick said the Police Department will soon return to the old recruiting system unless there are unexpected vacancies. He said the North Little Rock Police Department is "very fortunate" to be fully staffed.
"It allows us to have a lot more room to do things other than answer calls," Dedrick said. "When you're fully staffed in patrol, it means you're fully staffed in the detectives division, the narcotics division, the training division. When you're short in one area, it means you're short in other areas."
Metro on 08/19/2017