Two hundred. That’s the number of hires the Atlanta Police Department must make to reach its aggressive staffing goal by year’s end.
To help fill those positions, the department has launched a new recruiting website where job candidates can easily find information and apply.
“We are making it easier to learn about the job, the competitive pay, benefits and even apply all in one place,” Deputy Chief Scott Kreher said in a written statement.
The department has hired 135 officers as of Sept. 14, an increase of 71 percent from the same time period as last year, according to data provided by the department.
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The new website comes weeks after Atlanta police boasted about increased recruiting and retention numbers, crediting Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms with pay raises for the department.
Last year, Bottoms announced a 30 percent pay increase over the next three years making Atlanta police's wages competitive with other departments. The starting salary for an Atlanta officer is now $48,500.
As of last year, according to the Atlanta Police Foundation, 200 officers were leaving for every 100 officers hired annually. By last August, the department was down to 1,663 sworn officers. Nearly 400 authorized positions were unfilled. This year, the department has 1,775 sworn officer, slightly up from last year.
The new website will have the department’s recruiting goals, which including hiring 200 officers by Dec. 31. Users can also view Atlanta police salaries and benefits as well as in-depth information about the hiring process and recruiting events.
Kreher is hoping the new website will aid them in reducing crime: “We are hiring quality candidates and are confident this website will be a crucial tool in helping us get more officers on the streets to fight crime.”
— Christian Boone contributed to this report.
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