Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – The Jonesboro Police Department is offering bonuses to incoming police officers in an effort to combat staffing shortages.

The department is currently short about 25 officers, according to JPD police chief Rick Elliott. The department is offering a $12,000 bonus, paid out over three years, to certified officers with two or more years of experience.

| PREVIOUS REPORT: City Combats 25-Officer Shortage with $12,000 Sign-On Incentives for Experienced Police

For officers currently in the department, JPD is offering a recruiting bonus that a JPD officer will receive if they recommend an applicant who is eventually hired and as the recruit hits certain training milestones. In addition, officers with less experience are being offered a $5,000 bonus.

“Every law enforcement agency across the country is facing a hiring and recruiting and retention crisis,” Elliott explained. “So, we start looking at ‘What are they doing to keep officers in place, get good officers in the door?’ And one of them is a hiring incentive or a hiring bonus.”

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By offering the bonus to experienced, certified officers, Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver said it would not only allow officers to enter the police force sooner, since they had already completed the required training, but also save the city money.

“[A new] officer for us [costs] a minimum of $100,000 to educate, and it takes them six to eight months, maybe even a year, for them to be out in the field by themselves. An experienced officer can cut that time down dramatically,” Copenhaver said. “It’s saving our residents [money] too, so I think it’s key to invest on them getting in here in the long run. That’ll save us taxpayer dollars on the back end.”

Both Copenhaver and Elliott said funding for these bonuses would come from the police department’s budget. Money that would have been used to pay the salaries of the 25 officers in the shortage will instead fund the bonuses.

In addition, all those hired will be required to work two years on patrol before they become eligible to move to other divisions. Elliott said he typically does not place new hires in specific divisions, such as the Criminal Investigation Division or Drug Task Force, because he needs to see their motivation and work ethic.

“As these other positions come open, you can apply for it, and then we’ll review it and decide from there, but we want that two-year period to kind of critique their performance and how they do on the job,” he said.

Once the department’s 25-officer shortage has been met, Elliott and Copenhaver said they would reevaluate the bonus program then.

For now, the department has been relying on word of mouth to recruit officers but will soon begin a social media push. Both said they hope the bonuses will attract qualified officers, thereby making Jonesboro safer.

“Safety has always been my priority. And we weren’t down officers; we wouldn’t be in this situation, but I think we’re seeing that trend across the country,” Copenhaver said. “I want people to know, the officers come here because Jonesboro is such a good community. It’s just a reflection of the times.”

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