Wash. Police Department Sees Recruitment Spike with Over 700 Applicants

After interest waned in recent years, the Spokane Police Department saw a surge in applicants in 2021.

Though the number still falls short of historic norms, police leaders are proud of the renewed interest shown in becoming a Spokane police officer.

The department saw 762 applications from aspiring officers taking the public safety test in 2021, compared to just 414 in 2019. The recruitment report published by the police department excluded 2020 to avoid any potential abnormalities caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of African American and Hispanic applicants more than tripled during that same time frame. Just 12 African American candidates applied in 2019, compared to 48 in 2021. The number of Hispanic applicants jumped from 29 to 90, while female applicants increased from 47 to 78.

"Comparatively speaking, I'm happy with the numbers that we have," said Jacqui MacConnell, the department's director of strategic initiatives.

The written public safety test is the first step of several in becoming a commissioned police officer. Upon taking the test, aspiring officers can choose to apply to any number of dozens of law enforcement agencies across Washington. An increase in applicants means more prospective candidates are checking the box next to the city of Spokane.

That's welcome news for the department and elected leaders, even if not every potential candidate follows through.

"This is heartening to me, to see that people actually are still applying, especially women and minorities seeing this as an option for a career," said Councilwoman Lori Kinnear.

As it temporarily reassigned members of its traffic enforcement unit last year, Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl lamented staff shortages and the difficulty of hiring new officers. (It has since brought three of five officers back to the traffic enforcement unit and off of patrol duty).

In an interview with The Spokesman-Review at the time, Meidl worried that "anti-police rhetoric" was a deterrent to would-be officers, particularly in the wake of George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in 2020.

In a presentation to the Spokane City Council's Public Safety and Community Health Committee on Monday, police leaders detailed how the department has recently seen applications from a larger and more diverse pool of candidates.

"Although it's a very good number right now and it's adequate for our hiring needs ... the numbers are way down from years past," MacConnell noted.

Officials were also quick to highlight the diversity of new candidates. People of color are underrepresented in Spokane's police force. The department is 88% white, but white people account for 85% of the city's population.

Women, too, are underrepresented. They make up 9% of the police force but about 51% of the city's population.

The department has bolstered its recruitment efforts since 2019.

It sends people to public safety testing sites to share information about the Spokane Police Department with prospective candidates taking the public safety test. That work has led to an increased number of people checking the " Spokane Police Department" box when they take the test.

MacConnell said people are drawn to living in the Inland Northwest.

"Overall, we have good support for law enforcement in this area," MacConnell said. "There are, I think, numerous reasons why people want to work for the (Spokane Police Department)."

Despite the uptick in applicants, the department plans to move ahead with a plan to offer bonuses to new hires. The first 10 transfers will receive a $10,000 bonus, while 20 brand new officers will earn a $5,000 bonus.

Even though the department is already receiving qualified applicants, MacConnell said the bonuses could entice an even better pool. It will be "interesting to see if us offering these bonuses will have made a difference in their decision to come," MacConnell said.

In 2021, the department hired 18 new recruits and six officers with experience in other departments.

Even with increased applicants and new hires, staffing remains a challenge, according to department leaders.

The number of officers in the academy, on probation after graduating the academy or on sick leave can add up to dozens out of the 356 positions in the department. Add in vacancies due to retirement or people leaving for other reasons, and staffing a shift can be difficult.

Right now, there are only five vacancies, but 12 officers are in training and nine others are on vacation or medical leave. That's 26 positions the department can't use, but it's actually an improvement from the 37 that were unavailable last September, according to department spokeswoman Julie Humphreys.

To that end, the Spokane City Council is open to giving the police department authority to hire a new officer when they anticipate a future vacancy. By the end of the year, 52 police officers will be eligible for retirement.

Council President Breean Beggs encouraged department leaders to request hire-ahead authority.

"It just makes sense on so many levels," Beggs said.

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