A job fair for first responders is being held on Friday and among the agencies taking part is the West Palm Beach Police Department.
Sergeant Deanna Rideau says they are looking to recruit 25 people who want to become sworn officers.
"You would want to choose the West Palm Beach Police Department because we are well known. We are the best and largest municipality in Palm Beach County. If you want to be a cop's cop, West Palm Beach is the place to be."
Rideau says new recruits learn more in one month's time than those with some of the other local municipalities.
We've been hearing about law enforcement agencies across the country having issues hiring new officers and Sergeant Rideau says West Palm Beach PD is no exception.
"The number of qualified applicants has decreased as well as the number of applications that we have received on a regular basis."
She cites the COVID pandemic as one of the reasons.
"That hindered a lot of law enforcement agencies because the academies weren't open and then if they were, they were doing the Zoom classes."
That meant those who wanted to become cops didn't get a lot of first-hand experience from being instructed in person by a certified law enforcement personnel. Rideau says that kept them from becoming a qualified applicant.
That's why Friday's event is so important for agencies looking to hire new officers.
It's being held at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Other agencies taking part include the Boynton Beach Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, along with other agencies from across the state.
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The West Palm Beach Police Dept. is also recruiting current sworn officers, along with applicants who are not yet certified and have not gone through training. The agency is hosting an Open House at the West Palm Beach Fire Department, Station #5 on February 8 and February 22, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. both days, to assist individuals who have questions or need assistance with their applications and uploading necessary documents.
Click Here for more information from West Palm Beach Police.