Villages of Woodland Springs Homeowners Association

FWPD Not Having A Problem Getting New Recruits

Jun 28, 2006

Joel Thomas
Reporting

(CBS 11 News) FORT WORTH Fort Worth is adding nearly two dozen new officers to its police force in coming months.

Unlike many north Texas cities, Fort Worth doesn't have a problem filling the positions. The police department has found ways to keep up with the demands of a quickly growing city.

"Since we've caught up over the last three years, we're tentatively running about two classes a year, which allows us to plan a little bit better than we did in the past," said Chief Ralph Mendoza, Fort Worth Police Department.

Just a few years ago the department used an outside study to figure out how to keep up with the demand for new officers. By looking at the volume of calls, response times, and other factors, it predicts how many officers will be needed.

Now, when the council approves new officers, trainees are already graduating to fill the positions.

Of course, key for the police department is having a pool of people to draw upon and that means recruiting. Chief Mendoza says he can count on two things; reputation and luck.

"I think we're lucky," says Mendoza. "The newer generation, the younger applicants, do a lot of research."

The research is done on websites and through word of mouth. The department says it relies on competitive salaries, good benefits, and its reputation.

The recruiting program takes a lot of applicants, but trainers say it?’s one of the harder programs to actually graduate from. That?’s what many seeking a career in a department want and the newest academy classes reflect it.

"They were from the east coast, west coast, Midwest states," said Mendoza, "And it kind of surprised me."

The chief says the Fort Worth City Council has been a critical part of the picture as well. According to Mendoza the council allowed the department to pay and train cadets ahead of time, to keep up with future dreams.