‘Help wanted’: West Point PD puts call out for officers
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – It is a problem facing law enforcement agencies nationwide: recruiting and retaining good officers.
And it’s a problem the West Point Police Department is facing head-on.
The department is actively recruiting new officers.
Some officers have left the profession altogether, while others will often transfer to neighboring departments with better pay or benefits.
On top of those issues, there seem to be fewer people wanting to enter the field.
West Point Assistant Chief Michael Edwards said for many, law enforcement is a calling. And there are rewards that outweigh the pay and benefits.
“This is a rewarding career. It’s something that you can fall back on, that you can look back on memories of it, you know, years later you can say yourself, ‘Aw, man I helped a lot of people. I did a lot of things that, it wasn’t my goal, but the end results were rewarding.’ So, definitely, I ask people that have the heart, that has the desire to do something for somebody to consider law enforcement as a career for you,” said Edwards.
Those interested in joining the West Point Police Department can pick up an application at the department or West Point City Hall.
