| 09/28/2007 |
| Recruitment efforts pay off for city police |
| William Kaempffer , Register Staff |
| NEW HAVEN — The Police Department received 919 applications from prospective cops, nearly twice as many as had applied in last year’s effort. "Our goal is to increase the size of the police force in New Haven by 45 by the time this process is completed," said Mayor John DeStefano Jr. "We need strong men and women who have the character, commitment and abilities necessary to provide safety and peace of mind to residents and visitors of New Haven. I look forward to a thorough testing process that will hopefully yield a stellar academy class in the spring." Last year, a recruitment drive generated a disappointing 483 applicants and 29 recruits, including three still in the Connecticut state academy. That made this year’s recruitment particularly important as the city tried to increase the size of its depleted force. Last year, DeStefano had pledged to increase staffing to around 490 officers. The department has about 420 now, and had dipped to below 400 before the last academy class of 26 graduated this month. The city launched a more aggressive campaign this year, recruiting at city parks, municipal fairs, farmers markets, the local Ikea and other locations to generate more interest. According to the city, 54 percent of applicants were white, 22 percent black, 16 percent Hispanic, 7 percent multiethnic/unidentified/other/Native American and 1 percent Asian; 138 females applied. About a quarter of applicants this year are city residents, while the bulk of applicants are from surrounding municipalities; about 40 are from out of state. The next step in the process is the physical agility exam scheduled to begin Oct. 12. Applicants who pass that will progress to the written and oral exams in November and December, respectively. The final scores on which candidates will be hired will be an equally weighted combination of the written and oral scores.
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