In response to Opinion article published February 11th 2023 “Jamestown Has To Think Outside The Box To Fill Vacancies in Police Department”

I would like to provide some updates and facts in regards to filling police officer vacancies within the Jamestown Police Department. For one, an area that has not been mentioned by Mr. Champ, nor the article, is the fact that newly selected officers must be hired off an existing civil service list. The current list was released in December of 2022. Once the list is certified, the candidates must pass additional standards such as the physical fitness qualification. The previous civil service list established before December of 2022 was exhausted; meaning if any candidates existed, he or she did not meet department standards, civil service standards, was not interested in the position, or had already been hired by another agency. The hiring is dictated by civil service law. These standards are in place for multiple reasons beyond the scope of this writing. They should not be reduced or altered to allow lesser qualified candidates to be hired in such an important occupation. In my opinion, that would be taking a step backwards.

The police department has also implemented the first Citizens Academy. Although not a new tool for citizen engagement and education, people interested in a career in law enforcement often take the course. We currently have people interested in pursuing a law enforcement career in the citizens academy.

The article mentions a recruitment bonus. The Jamestown Police Department has had a recruitment bonus since the fall of 2022. It summoned no interest. Also, an interested applicant from another state would still have to go through an abbreviated police academy in New York state and have a high score on the civil service test when the test is offered, usually every two years.

The interest in the profession has greatly diminished since 2020. The last academy class at the Jamestown Community College Sheriff’s Academy had 13 recruits. In previous years a class would be anywhere from 20-30 recruit officers.

The recruitment issue is not unique to Jamestown. It is a nationwide problem. I have had the opportunity to speak to Chiefs, Sheriffs, and officers throughout the country as well as read multiple articles from organizations such as the IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police) the problem is not unique to Jamestown.

The article also states “…city officials probably need to investigate ways to better handle gun violence in city neighborhoods by using existing officers or city staff differently.” In January of 2023, after seeing the results of micro hot spot policing in Buffalo, N.Y., the Jamestown Police Department began replicating the strategy. This has not been used in Jamestown before.

The idea of identifying future police officers in high school and helping with college costs in exchange for working a certain amount of years is interesting. However, how are we going to be sure the person is going to score well or even pass the civil service exam to be hired?

There is certainly less interest in becoming a police officer than in years past which has led to fewer qualified candidates and recruitment issues. One can make his or her own determination as to why. I question what more can be done by city officials thinking “outside of the box” to fix a nationwide problem that is not one of recruitment, but lack of interest in the profession.

Tim Jackson is Jamestown police chief and director of public safety.