The Franklin Town Council approved at its Feb. 7 meeting a new policy that will help the police department recruit officers. As part of the agreement, the town will pay for tuition for Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) and the person must commit to work for the police department.
“We need to take a firm look at recruiting and putting our own people through BLET,” Police Chief Bill Harrell said at the Town Council meeting.
The police department has three people retiring before the end of March – Capt. Danny Bates will retire at the end of February, and Sgt. Mark Foster and Sgt. Tony Ashe will retire in March. Harrell said even if there are candidates within the department to be promoted, that will still leave vacant positions. The chief said they are fortunate that the department is currently fully staffed with 17 officers.
Law enforcement departments across the state and the country are having a difficult time recruiting new officers. Harrell said part of the reason is because of how some people currently view law enforcement. The hours and risks that come with the job have always been recruiting factors along with competition among neighboring departments who may pay more.
People just finishing school or already in the workforce often don’t have the time or money to pay for BLET. The training can take up to six months and runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week. The chief said when you add in study time, trainees are lucky to get 4-6 hours of sleep at night.
For someone already working, the academy schedule can make it difficult to quit their job for training and still have money to pay rent, car payments, student loans etc.
All that makes it difficult to find replacements when someone leaves or retires from the force. Harrell said a program like this is long overdue for the town as other departments in the area have already been offering a program to pay training tuition.
With the new program the town approved, candidates will go through an initial screening process and if they are approved, they will be hired as part-time employees of the police department for the five to six months it takes to complete the training. After the training is completed and they pass the state comprehensive exam, they will serve as a probationary officer for one year. Harrell said state law requires that all new officers serve the probationary period during which time they can be dismissed with or without cause.
Following successful completion of the probation period, the candidate will be offered a permanent position. If the person quits during the first year, they will owe the town 100% of the training and equipment costs, in the second year 66% and in the third year 33%.
Harrell said the program will be helpful in recruiting their own people and looking at the character traits they want to develop for the long haul. He said ideally new hires will be there long after his tenure, and he thinks about what kind of precedent and practice he wants to leave for those who follow him. “Not only for the profession but also the community,” he said.
Harrell said part of the process for recruiting new officers involves changing the overall way of thinking about who makes a good candidate for the job.
In the past, more emphasis was put on the physical aspect of the job, and while that is still a needed skill, Harrell said they want someone who can also be quick on their feet intellectually and be a problem solver.
“We want the kind of people who can think their way through their problem rather than sometimes having to use physical confrontation. Sometimes there’s no choice.”
He said it’s important for officers to know what community resources are available to help the people they encounter while on the job and there are different ways to communicate and reason with a person depending on the situation.
“Those people are not just standing in line who can do this work,” he said.
Police officer training candidates
To qualify for BLET, a person must be at least 21 years old by the time they complete the training. They must pass a background check and will undergo medical and psychological testing, drug screening and a polygraph.
A minimum of 10 candidates are needed for the academy to offer a class. BLET training is offered at Southwestern Community College, AB Tech and Haywood Community College.
SCC will offer training beginning March 9, so Harrell said they are on a tight deadline to get new candidates screened and enrolled.
The council approved funding for training for three officers this fiscal year. Harrell said some potential candidates have already expressed interest.
Anyone who wants to apply should contact NC Works.