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Chesterfield police looking for volunteers to help hire new police officers
- By: VACP
- On: 02/24/2021 17:30:23
- In: Virginia News
This new volunteer program will give authorized Level-1 volunteers the opportunity to participate in part of Chesterfield County's police officer hiring process. Volunteers will need to complete the same process police applicants go through, which includes a background investigation, a panel interview with department commanders, a polygraph examination, and a psychological assessment.
By Desiree Montilla, WWBT NBC12 | February 24, 2021 at 4:38 PM EST - Updated February 24 at 4:38 PMCHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - On Wednesday, the Chesterfield County Police Department announced a new initiative to get the community involved with the hiring process for future police officers.
The department says they want to recruit as many people as they can to become Level-1 volunteers for this effort.
Chesterfield County Chief of Police Jeffrey Katz says it's important for their community members to have a seat at the table.
“We have not seen this anywhere else,” Katz said. “We have a responsibility to make sure that our police force not only reflects the community that we serve but also reflects the values of the community.”
Katz says these volunteers will work closely with them to interview candidates.
“Our work should be reflective of the desires of our community,” he said. “Having some voice in an oral review panel makes a lot of sense.”
Katz also says these volunteers will also look over summary reports on background investigations.
“We're going to bring the summary to a Level-1 volunteer, who will look over the information and say, ‘I feel comfortable. I don't feel comfortable. Would you please look into this?'”
Katz hopes this effort will improve transparency to build trust between their officers and the community they serve.
“We take our role as partners with our community very seriously,” he said. “We're always looking for opportunities to innovate and create new partnerships, new opportunities to work with our residents, and provide the best quality service as possible.”
To become a volunteer, people will need to complete the same process police applicants go through. This includes a background investigation, a panel interview with department commanders, a polygraph examination, and a psychological assessment.
Experience in law enforcement is not required to become a volunteer. For more information about this volunteering opportunity, CLICK HERE.
Copyright 2021 WWBT. All rights reserved. Source URL: https://www.nbc12.com/2021/02/24/chesterfield-police-looking-volunteers-help-hire-new-police-officers/
