RICHMOND, Va. -- First Sergeant James White loves his job with the Virginia State Police. As a Recruitment Unit Manager, he's trying to get others to follow in his footsteps.
"Nothing else I would rather do than this right here," White told CBS 6.
In an effort to get a head start, the Virginia State Police is hoping to reach potential recruits before they're even old enough to sign up for the Virginia State Police Academy.
The new "Pathway to Trooper" program allows 18 to 20-year-olds to be employed with VSP as an "Emergency Dispatcher" in one of VSP's seven Emergency Communication Dispatch Centers. Participants are then promised to have space reserved for them at VSP's Police Academy once they come of age at 21.
Employees in the program would undergo six months of training to become a dispatcher.
Once they're 21 years old and have completed the hiring process, program participants would transition into police training.
"It gives those who want to go into law enforcement a doorway to come through now," White said. "That pathway is following that path to your seat at the training academy, to your car, and your route, and your community, patrolling and helping the citizens of your community."
Someone going through the program would be eligible a $5,000 hiring bonus. They would then be eligible for the 10% after initial dispatcher training. Another $5,000 retention bonus is possible upon completion of trooper training at VSP's Academy.
The move comes as law enforcement agencies nationwide grapple with staffing shortages.
There are around 300 sworn officer vacancies across VSP, according to White.
"We realize there's a small pool of applicants that all agencies are trying to tap into, so how can we expand that pool for ourselves?" White asked. "This is very unique, very new, and I don't think there's any other program that mirrors what we're doing."
Roughly 800 officers have left VSP over the last five years, according to the Police Benevolent Association's Virginia Chapter (PBA).
Rich Goska with PBA called the program a good starting point, but doesn't account for the reasons vacancies exist.
"We applaud State Police for thinking outside of the box," Goska said. "But the question is, what are they going to do to keep them? That's the problem here? What are they going to do to keep those troopers once they become certified?"
Goska said on average, new law enforcement hires stay on the job for about five years.
"They're going to have to pay, probably, lawyer wages to keep police, that's how bad it is," Goska said.
Goska said Virginia's pay rates for law enforcement are often much lower than other states but also said more money may not completely resolve the issue.
"It's not all about money, it's also the culture they're working in," Goska said. "And accountability up to all levels of management, to make sure these troopers have what they need when they're out in the field, working for the citizens."
Click here for more on the "Pathway to Trooper" program. Click here to sign up!
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