Officials with the Springfield Police Department are attempting to find new ways to attract officers to fill several vacancies.
At a city council meeting last Monday, SPD Chief Paul Williams said the department has 57 openings.
He told the council they are creating hiring incentives as a new recruiting tool to bring people in. $5,000 for new officers, $10,000 for experienced officers.
The 57 openings are more than twice the national average for a department, something Williams hopes will be fully addressed in the next couple of years.
He also mentioned potential student loan reimbursement for officers that are facing higher education debt.
With all of these ideas being discussed or being put into action, Williams still says he is looking for high-quality people for the department, and that the standards of SPD will not change.
