‘Protect the community: Police agencies together in search of officers

Western New York police agencies are joining together to recruit officers. They, like many law enforcement agencies across the country, are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill their ranks.

For Mike Sendlbeck from Amherst, he’s got his eyes set on a new career move, joining the police force.

“I want to get more in touch with the community and see it from a different angle,” Mike said. “Being somebody people can look up to."

WKBW

The next county-wide civil service exam for police officers will be held on September 28, with the application deadlines just under a month away.

“[The hiring situation is] extremely dire, it’s like everything else, you can’t hire nurses, you can’t hire teachers,” Amherst Police Dept. Safety Education Officer Trey Johnson said.

WKBW

Police departments across Western New York are in need of people just like Mike.

A Police Executive Research Forum survey showed that between 2020 and 2021, law enforcement resignation rates increased by 18% and retirement rates by 45%.

On top of that, a study by the International Association of Chiefs of Police says that 78% of nationwide agencies reported having difficulty in recruiting qualified candidates.

“With everybody else, after covid, law enforcement took a hit too, and we’re looking for people to fill the spots,” Officer Jennifer Szymborski with the Cheektowaga Police Dept. said.

WKBW

To help combat that country-wide struggle, Amherst Police invited prospective police officers from across the area to a career fair, so they can encourage people to apply for officer jobs, both in their hometowns and at the county level.

“The more people that take the exam, the better it is for all of us, all the agencies,” Johnson said. “That’s what this is about, we are trying to promote police jobs, police officer jobs and tell them what it’s about.”

“It’s still one of the best jobs out there. I’ve been doing it 19 years, and it’s still the best job,” Szymborski said.

“We’re always looking for great people, just gives us an opportunity to talk about what’s important to us,” Capt. Todd Ehret with the Hamburg Police Dept. said.