GRPD hopes to grow alongside the city, police captain says

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The call to service and law enforcement is special, so recruiting and finding people that are the right fit for the job is crucial for the communities they serve.

The Grand Rapids Police Department is actively recruiting individuals who want to be a part of the department or the programs it offers.

“As of late, our numbers have been picking up quite a bit,” Capt. Dave Siver with GRPD told News 8.

He added that it is important to have “good moral character.”

“They want to have a heart for service,” he said. “The job is very challenging at times, so you’ve got to have some thick skin.  And we will train you. Our training schedule is constantly going.”

Siver said that the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for law enforcement agencies across the country to recruit and retain officers. But now, years later, GRPD numbers have been on the rise, and Siver credits that growth to their boots on the ground.

“I think a lot of it was reevaluating our traditional recruitment methods. Trying to grow your own was a big push through the expansion of the Cadet Program and then the Pathways to Policing Program that we offer. We offer our Youth Policing Academy,” he said. “So, trying to get folks exposed to the career, our Explorer Program for folks, that’s been huge.”

As of early October, the department has around 290 officers. The number is up about 40 officers since the pandemic.

Siver said there are currently about 10 vacancies they are looking to fill, but the number fluctuates frequently.

“We are continually hiring or trying to hire lateral transfers, so if you are a police officer somewhere else and you want to come home or come to a larger agency, we are here for you,” he said.

Siver added that the city is continuing to grow and advance and with that, GRPD is hoping to grow its department as well.

“We want to expand our numbers in the next couple years quite a bit. So I would say in the next couple of years — without speaking for the city commission, they’d have to approve it — but we would like to be in that 330 or 340 range,” he said. “There’s a lot going on downtown with the amphitheater coming in, the soccer stadium. There’s excitement with the river transformation. There is a lot of great restaurants and nightlife down here.”

GRPD offers a variety of different opportunities for people of all ages to participate in if they are interested in this career path. Its Youth Police Academy allows high school sophomores to seniors to work with the department. According to the website, participants of the academy “have a hands-on approach to basic police training that includes several areas and units from the department.”

GRPD also offers an Explorer Program for individuals aged 14 to 20. The website says that the “interactive, career education program includes the areas of discipline, leadership, maturity, teamwork, physical fitness, and skills related to criminal justice focused on law enforcement.”

For a list of the other program the department offers, visit GRPD’s recruiting website here .

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