Police departments across the country are losing officers. In Seattle, Washington where the community lost 400 officers in the last two years, according to local Seattle news, they have started a new program called Before the Badge. This five-week pre-Academy program focuses on interpersonal relationships in the community and officer wellness before a recruit attends the 720-hour Basic Law Enforcement Academy. This is the first of its kind, and many police departments across the country are experimenting with new and innovative ways to attract quality people interested in public safety.
From major cities like Seattle to small towns like the Village of Milan, police departments are struggling to recruit and retain officers. In recent years the police may have suffered from negative police rhetoric from the public and even elected officials. On March 9, 2022, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 68, a bi-partisan collection of strategies designed to support public safety personnel across the state.
Some of the strategies include a $50 million budget for recruitment, strengthening penalties for gun crimes, increasing death benefits for the families of police officers killed in the line of duty to $1 million dollars - the nation’s most generous policy, and creating criminal statutes relating to violent threats, property damage, and chop shops.
“Thanks to this bill, I’m able to attract experienced officers. The money we receive will also help keep the officers we have,” Milan Police Chief Ustupski said. “We’ve been short two officers for seven to eight months. By early next year we could potentially be fully staffed with eight full-time officers,” he added.
Chief Ustupski said that this year the Milan Police Department received about 5-10 uncertified applicants, meaning they are individuals who have not attended the police academy, and about 5-10 certified applicants, meaning they have attended the police academy. “We did a thorough background check, and everyone was eliminated,” he said. Prior criminal activity, arrested but not charged, policy violations, and internal affairs investigations are some of the reasons a candidate is eliminated. “There’s a reason why some officers have worked for five or six different police departments. We don’t want to just fill an opening. It’s a risk hiring anyone with baggage, and stuff can happen with someone who has a clean background too,” he said.
“I feel like my guys are underappreciated. We want to keep our guys here, so it’s an amazing thing we got. I love you guys. You do a great job,” Chief Ustupski told the officers in attendance at the December 15 Village of Milan Board of Trustees Meeting.