PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria says now is the time for police officers in other communities to become officers in Peoria instead.
The department is making a push for what are called “lateral hires” — and the incentives for those hires to happen.
“It will have a $15,000 hiring bonus — $5,000 up front, $5,000 after your FTO training, and $5,000 after your first year — if you’re an Illinois officer, certified, with two years or more of experience,” said Echevarria.
Echevarria tells WMBD’s Craig Collins with some more retirements and other issues, he believes the department is at 198 officers, and is allowed to have 220.
And, Echevarria says, it’s not like the old days of hiring police officers either.
“When I got hired 23 years ago, there were 500, 600 people applying for the (police officer) test,” said Echevarria. “We’re not seeing those type of numbers, but I think we can get there. These are jobs, local government jobs…you can’t have a job somewhere else. We’re not going anywhere.”
Echevarria says even if you don’t have experience, your help could be needed, too.
Peoria Police released a poster this week promoting the desire for lateral hires.
