Maryland police department looks to Puerto Rico to recruit
- Police in Prince George's County serve a large Spanish-speaking population
- Other departments have raised recruiting bonuses or incentives for officers
- Police departments nationwide can't keep up with retirements and departures
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(NewsNation) — Police departments across the country are struggling to recruit officers, and one Maryland department has decided to look outside the continental U.S. for a solution.
Prince George’s County, Maryland, has a diverse population with many Spanish speakers. That’s one reason the department is traveling more than 1,500 miles to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in search of officers.
As with many departments in the U.S., the organization can’t fill officer positions to keep up with retirements and officers quitting the force.
The county, located just outside of Washington, D.C., is down more than 300 police officers, according to the department.
“The Puerto Rico idea is something that we hope we can bring people to the department that have ties to the Hispanic community. We have a lot of officers that are already on the department and are from Puerto Rican descent, and other Hispanic communities,” said recruiting commander Capt. Nicholas Collins.
The department is also considering other incentives as well, including a $2,500 property tax credit if officers move into the county.
“We really need to recruit, we need to fill the gap of 400. Because what’s happening is that, as crime is rising across the country, and it’s rising in the region, many people feel like there’s crime going on that is unattended to,” said Prince George’s County Council Vice Chair Wala Blegay.
Police departments across the nation are getting desperate to fill roles. Washington, D.C., recently upped its officer signing bonus to $25,000.
In San Francisco, the police department has begun looking for officers on college campuses in Texas.
In Covington, Kentucky, the city is offering retired officers a chance to come back on one-year contracts.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis is attempting to recruit officers based on politics. DeSantis hopes to recruit officers from states with policies he calls weak on crime, like ending cash bail. The state has specifically been targeting officers from Illinois, offering them a $5,000 signing bonus.
While larger cities and counties are turning to creative recruitment techniques, some smaller towns have had to close down departments entirely, with 12 towns getting rid of police departments in the past two years.
