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WHEELING -- The Wheeling Police Department is offering a $20,000 hiring bonus to certified West Virginia police officers in a push to recruit more officers.
Out-of-state officers who meet West Virginia's certification standards are also eligible for the bonus. The WPD announced Thursday that they will be offering in-person certification testing on Sat. March 29, the first testing opportunity of the new year.
Prospective officers must pass a written and physical test, a polygraph test and a criminal background check. They must also be above 18 years of age and live within 45 miles of Wheeling's police headquarters in six months of starting work.
A shortage in police officers has been widely reported in the United States following both the COVID-19 pandemic and Minneapolis police officers' murder of George Floyd in 2020, which sparked global protests and outrage.
"Certainly there has been a nationwide recruitment issue," Wheeling Deputy Police Chief Josh Sanders said.
Sanders said "negativity in the media" surrounding police officers has contributed to hiring difficulties.
"A lot of police departments have been combating that issue. We are no different but we are trying to do some things to bring people in," Sanders said.
The department doesn't often offer hiring bonuses, and Sanders said he is hopeful it will help recruitment efforts.
"We haven't done that as much as people would think. So we would really like to bring some folks in on that," he said.
Sanders emphasized that he feels Wheeling is a good place to work as an officer. He noted that Wheeling residents tend to be cooperative with officers and their investigations.
He cited recent data released by the police department showing that 2024 yielded Wheeling's lowest crime rates in a decade. There was also a notable decrease in drug overdoses and overdose deaths last year, which Chief Shawn Schwertfeger has attributed in the past, at least in part, to the department's recently established drug task force.
Sanders said WPD is at the forefront of new policing strategies around mental health and addiction with their peer specialists and crisis intervention work.
"You work for Wheeling PD and you get to do these amazing things and make Wheeling a better place, so if that's where your heart is and that's what you think you want to do then we really want you to come out and work for us," Sanders said.
WPD officers have been appreciative of the availability of 12-hour shifts, meaning longer but fewer shifts a week, which can allow for more freedom and a better work-life balance, Sanders said. He also mentioned the choices prospective officers have available to them at WPD. There are opportunities to join the SWAT team, honor guard and the drug task force, among other focuses.
"There's a lot of opportunity here at the Wheeling Police Department and we use that opportunity to make the city of Wheeling a better place," Sanders said.
The department will be releasing details soon about an open house where prospective officers can find information about working for WPD as well as test their abilities with a practice physical exam.