Wheeling Police Department Still Looking for Applicants
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WHEELING -- The promise of a new headquarters, new programs, and a $20,000 signing bonus are hoped to bring in new applicants to the Wheeling Police Department.
The WPD is accepting applications for probationary police officers through Friday. The civil service exam will follow on Nov. 20. Applicants must pass a physical and written test, a polygraph exam and a criminal background check. They must be between 18 and 40 years old and live within 45 miles of Wheeling.
Earlier this year, Wheeling increased the incentive for applicants from $8,000 to the $20,000 signing bonus if applicants hold a W.Va. law enforcement certification, as well as for out-of-state officers who meet state certification standards. Additionally, any certified officer contributing to the state retirement system can transfer their retirement to Wheeling and will not lose their years of service.
WPD spokesman Philip Stahl said the signing bonus is to incentivise qualified officers to Wheeling's force, which eliminates months of training before being able to begin their service.
"The incentive is there in hopes to get more officers in, and out on the streets quickly," Stahl said. "A new officer who applies has to go through multiple months of training, including the state police academy, in-house training, firearms training, defensive tactics training, you name it.
"If there is a certified officer out there, and they're wanting to work for us, they're already certified, already trained, all they have to do is some in-house training on how we operate a little bit, and they're out on the street. It's so much quicker to do it that way. ... It's less time-consuming to patrol divisions, who can get them in and out there quickly."
The Wheeling Police Department currently employs 71 people, with seven vacancies on its staff.
The new police headquarters — the former Valley Professional Building at 2115 Chapline St. — broke ground in September, with a projected completion date in Sept. 2022. Stahl said he hopes the greatly expanded, state-of-the-art facility will itself serve as an attractive prospect for aspiring officers. Police currently work out of the city building, where police have been for more than 60 years.
"It's the first new facility since 1959, so to be able to have that as an attraction will hopefully draw applicants," Stahl said. "It'll be done next fall, we're hoping by September to be moved in there, and I think that having that availability to us, the enhancements that we're making internally, we'll be able to attract people to us and the city.
"… Obviously, having more space in general, to allow people more working room in a state-of-the-art facility is going to be huge," Stahl added. "We're in 4,600 square feet right now, and we're (multiplying) that to something like 30,000 square feet. That's going to be a draw, and it'll be exciting when it happens."
In particular, Stahl mentioned the assigned vehicle program, where officers will be able to take their squad cars home. Wheeling's city council approved this program earlier this year, of which police chief Shawn Schwertfeger has been a longtime supporter.
Stahl said that in addition to other advantages, the program will limit wear and tear on vehicles, which take a break at the end of a shift, rather than being used for the next shift.
"A lot of police departments do that across the United States, and we believe it'll be cost-saving for us as well," Stahl said. "You're not running a patrol car 24/7, and having to get a new one every couple years. This way, you're able to give them a break."