KPD hires 13 new officers

LIHU‘E — After a concerted recruitment effort that featured advertising for vacant police officer positions, the Kaua‘i Police Department has begun to see positive results, said Police Chief Darryl Perry in a press release.

KPD recently hired 13 new police officers, who are currently attending the police academy, and are expected to hit the road near the end of this year. KPD also recently received a new list of 91 police officer applicants — the highest numbers of police applicants that KPD has seen in many years — who passed the entrance exam and will be going through employment screening over the next few months.

Perry said he is optimistic that the department will be able to find suitable candidates for its 17 vacancies from the recently received list of 91 applicants.

“We recognize that there are multiple factors that have probably played a part in the increased interest in working for the police department,” Perry wrote, noting specifically the struggling economy, new administration, and increased police salaries. “However, we would not be seeing this degree of interest without the strong support that we have received from the Kaua‘i County Council in recent years. Without the money to advertise and get the word out, a lot of good candidates would not have known that KPD was hiring.

“The support we receive from our Council members is indispensable to the fulfillment of our public safety responsibilities and goals. We must also thank the County Administration for allowing us to continue filling our vacant sworn positions,” Perry wrote.

With the increased financial support, KPD multiplied its number of newspaper advertisements statewide, ran radio advertisements — narrated by Perry — and attended more job fairs.