Columbia Police Department recruits through open house

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department invited the community to an open house event at their regional training center at 5001 Meyer Industrial Drive on Saturday.

The event was a part of CPD's ongoing recruitment drive to fill 21 open positions at the department.

"This is not only a prime recruiting opportunity, but also a great chance to connect with the community," said Assistant Police Chief Jeremiah Hunter.

In recent months, CPD has recruited 15 officers, with nine of them set to hit the streets in the coming days. Robert Bennett, a recruiter and trainer for the Columbia Police Department, said "I've been on the road a lot trying to recruit quality officers for the Columbia Police Department"

Bennett said the staffing shortage has created add strain on the department. "We're answering our calls, we're able to keep up with our call volume, but it's putting a lot of stress on our patrol officers, and our detectives."

When they department is fully staffed, they operate with 187 budgeted officers.

This is not the first time CPD has faced shortages.

In January, the department was trying to fill more than a dozen positions as well, while dealing with officers out sick with COVID-19.

The event was also created to allow members of the community the opportunity to see how the police department operates. "It allows the public to actually come in and meet the officers that sever their community, and it allows our officers to get to know the people" said Bennett.

Representatives from the department’s swat team, crisis negotiation team, K-9 unit and other departments attended the event. Community members, families, and individuals interested in joining the department were able to ask questions, see non-lethal weapon demonstrations, and look at some of the equipment the department uses.

Those looking to apply as an officer, can check out como.gov to learn more.