ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is launching a campaign to help close its 157-officer gap.
The recruitment campaign is called #BeTheChange and its aimed at recruiting diverse candidates from across the region who want to "be the change they want to see in the police department."
The campaign kicks off Feb. 10 through Feb. 28.
SLMPD said the department will run ads on TV, print, radio and social media in hopes of recruiting more woman and people of color.
“We want the next generation of City Police officers to reflect the diversity of the St. Louis region, so we are hoping to recruit more women, Black, and Hispanic individuals who don’t want a typical 9-to-5 job and are interested in serving the community,” said Sergeant Christy Allen.
Sgt. Allen also said the department offers great benefits including paid insurance, tuition reimbursement and flexible job opportunities across the department.
According to the press release, the campaign will focus on telling the stories of several SLMPD officers including Darrell Cain, a "30-something year old" former Marine and officer from north St. Louis who said he loves his job so much he would “do it for free.”
Other officers highlighted include David Goldschmidt, a patrol officer who joined the force at age 48 after realizing he wanted to get involved in the community; Hajrija Music, a Bosnian American who wanted to avoid doing the typical 9-to-5 job; and Jesus Dominguez, a Latino police officer who was inspired by a fellow Latina officer and now works closely with Spanish-speaking St. Louisans to help improve police and neighborhood relations.
“When people see who we really are and what we actually do, I think they will be surprised,” said Chief John Hayden, Jr., St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. “City police officers, especially many of our recent graduates and cadets, are passionate about serving the community. They want to have a flexible career doing what they love and they want to be the kind of police officers that change the perception of law enforcement in our neighborhoods. That is who we are looking for - people like them who want to be the change for good and help others live safe and productive lives.”
The campaign was developed and sponsored by the St. Louis Police Foundation.
“We know that one of the best ways to support existing police officers is to make sure they have enough fellow officers to help them serve our community,” said Michelle Bagwell, St. Louis Police Foundation President and Executive Director. “That is why the Police Foundation has made assisting SLMPD with recruitment and retention of police officers one of our top priorities in 2021.”
Potential candidates interested in finding out more about joining the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department can visit www.slmpdrecruit.org for more information and to get started.
