By Suzie Ziegler
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A police department in North Carolina is looking further south to find police recruits: Puerto Rico.
The U.S. territory has become increasingly popular for police recruiting, reports Up And Coming Weekly. Mainland police departments tend to offer better pay and benefits than in Puerto Rico – where last year officers went on strike to demand a better pension plan, according to the report. Puerto Rico officers do not get Social Security or health insurance after retirement, and they only get 30% to 40% of their salary upon retirement, said Gina Hawkins, Fayetteville’s Chief of Police.
In April, Fayetteville PD held a recruiting event in Puerto Rico to interview and test candidates. Hawkins was in attendance along with several other members of the top brass, two detectives and an officer. Hawkins says 60 people applied and 25 applicants passed the entry test, the report said. Applicants will next have to travel to North Carolina to take physical and psychological fitness tests.
Hawkins says the far-flung recruiting event was worth it.
“What’s the cost of going without an officer?” she asked Up And Coming Weekly. “How much money is spent on overtime when we are short 50 officers?”
Fayetteville isn’t the first agency to seek potential recruits from Puerto Rico. The North Charleston Police Department in South Carolina recently swore in three of ten incoming officers through a partnership with the University of Puerto Rico, according to the report.
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