GREENSBORO, N.C. — Law enforcement leaders are in agreement that more officers are actually needed to help keep communities safe. But agencies across the country including in Greensboro and Winston-Salem have been finding it hard to get new officers hired.
The pandemic has also dealt a blow to recruitment efforts by most agencies. The Winston-Salem Police Department has nearly 70 vacancies to fill while Greensboro Police have more than 40 vacancies. The Greensboro city council also recently approved the addition of 8 new positions for the police department. According to leaders, one of the main problems is finding more qualified applicants for those open positions.
"There's not a lot of people breaking the door down to become police officers in our agency or any other agency," said Chief Catrina Thompson of the Winston-Salem Police Department.
"Every last one of us is dealing with these same issues," said Sheriff Danny Rogers, Guilford County.
"When you talk about agencies that are reaching dangerous levels on patrols, that's a dangerous place to be in," added Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, Forsyth County.
Law enforcement leaders said there's a general lack of interest in the profession. They also said negative publicity and a change in public perception due to questionable actions of some law enforcement officers have also affected the morale of dedicated officers.
Low wages, the high-risk nature of crime-fighting, and an escalation in gun violence have also not encouraged recruits to join the force.
"People are reluctant to go into law enforcement and the men and women that are there, some of them are leaving because (they ask themselves) do I want to continue to do this profession," Kimbrough said.
"They're doing everything they can to get out of it unfortunately and I am seeing that right here in my own agency," Thompson said.
However, there was a slight sign of progress Thursday when the Winston-Salem Police Department graduated 18 new officers to help fight crime. The recruits spent more than 1000 hours over 31 weeks training to serve and protect.
"It's awesome it's one of the most exciting feelings I've had in my adult life," said Joshua Gentle, a new recruit.
"I'm very enthusiastic to start my career as a Winston Salem Police officer," said Jasmine Clark, another new recruit.
This past week, there's been a surge in gun violence in Winston-Salem. Since the beginning of the year, there have been nearly 20 shooting-related deaths in the city. The new officers said that uptick in crime was what convinced them of the need to serve.
"I feel very confident that when I'm on the streets, I know I'll be able to handle stuff," Clark said.
"I want them to know my name, I want them to know who I am. If there is trouble or something or in need of any kind of assistance, they don't hesitate to reach out and ask because that's what we're here for, that's what I'm here for," Gentle said.
Even with the new graduates, there are 68 vacancies within WSPD.
"We will continue to do the effort towards recruiting. We are adding technology to help add extra eyes to take the place of the people that we don't have and we're making adjustments that we can with our manpower," Thompson said.
"What we are wanting is qualified applicants. You want men and women who love the job," Kimbrough said.