LIHU‘E — Not so long ago, when applications were being accepted for Kaua‘i Police Department patrol services officers, there were not always that many takers. In today’s economy, that has changed. So much so that the “sheer number of applicants”
LIHU‘E — Not so long ago, when applications were being accepted for Kaua‘i Police Department patrol services officers, there were not always that many takers.
In today’s economy, that has changed.
So much so that the “sheer number of applicants” has actually served to bog down the start of a new recruit class, KPD Chief Darryl Perry said in an e-mail Monday.
Even with the most recent recruit class graduation of 13 new officers, there are still 18 vacancies out of 148 authorized sworn positions, he said.
The plan had been to begin the 81st recruit class by December of this year, Perry said.
But getting through the background checks, psychological examinations and other preliminaries required to even be considered to be a recruit to be a man or woman in blue has proven so time-consuming for the nearly 80 applicants that the next class won’t start until March or April 2010, Perry said.
“Recruitment has been my priority from the day I took office. The current plan is to complete background checks on potential candidates,” he said in the e-mail. Perry took over in October 2007.
“I had initially anticipated starting the 81st recruit class in late December, but the process is taking longer than expected just from the shear number of applicants (75+). That number has been whittled down considerably, but there are still a number of background checks and psychological evaluations left to complete,” said Perry.
“Therefore, the date was pushed back to early March or at the latest April of 2010.”
There is no recruit class in session now, he said.
However, the 13 members of the 80th recruit class are still learning, on the road assigned to Field Training Officers, said KPD Sgt. Scott Kaui of the Administrative and Technical Bureau.
They still come under training, but are assigned to the Patrol Services Bureau, being trained by “seasoned” KPD officers, Kaui said.
The 80th recruit class graduated July 31, went on the road with FTOs the next day, and are scheduled to complete the FTO program in November, Perry said.
