DECATUR, Ala. — Just like many employers this summer, law enforcement is hiring.
Our WZDX News reporter has a look at how the Decatur Police Department is seeing changes in the field as they're recruiting more officers.
Decatur Chief of Police, Nate Allen, points out the need for "improved" and "proper" training in a few areas of the force.
"There are several things that we do when it comes to use of force, de-escalation; bias training, anti-bias training," says Allen.
The Decatur Police Department is looking to fill six to twelve patrol officer positions currently. On average, Chief Allen says it's about seven to eight positions.
He says more openings are available because more people are retiring this year.
However, he does recognize the recent struggle in recruiting and retaining officers within police departments.
"A lot of folks now, don't want to be police officers, which creates a challenge for us," says Allen. "It's a host of things that make people not want to become a police officer," he added.
George Floyd's death, nearly a year ago, prompted calls for police reform and accountability. Allen says he's seeing a difference in how departments operate, including his own.
"The policing profession, is changing," he says.
Allen says departments are even taking on more civilians to work on the force in roles such as crime-scene analysis work, and a public spokesperson.
"As law enforcement officers, we tend to see the world as black and white. You broke the law or you didn't. When you bring someone in from the outside, they can give you a different perspective and say 'Well, maybe this is the reason that a person act the way that they did," he says.
"Police officers are needed. When you have something going wrong, or you need help, you call 911 and you want the police officer to respond. The key is you want the police officer to respond in a proper way, and that's why we revert back to proper training," says Allen.
Here's his message to potential officers:
"Come on board. Try it. Become a police officer if you have a servant's heart and you really want to serve. This is the place for you," says Allen.
