MORGANTOWN, W.Va. –– The Morgantown Police Department is ready to welcome new officers to the force as they continue to address an over twenty officer shortage.
Deputy Chief Chris Ruehmer announced that one officer will be ready to begin field training within the next few months, with two more officers currently approved to attend training at the West Virginia State Police Academy. While the new hires would still place the department well below their quota for officers, Ruehmer is excited to have at least one new Morgantown Police officer on board by the end of 2024 to go along with two new recruits and positive responses to city government and MPD recruitment efforts.
“So we’re excited to have her (the new officer) finish up her training and rejoin us here in the police department, and we have two individuals that have successfully navigated the most recent testing process,” said Ruehmer on the current status of the new recruits. “We are excited to have them on board as well as we prepare to send them off to training at the West Virginia State Police Academy,” he said.
According to Ruehmer, efforts to encourage more individuals to sign up appeared to have been fruitful based on the signups for the previous training periods. For the Morgantown Police Department, this is the result of expanded job postings on social media, word of mouth within the City of Morgantown, and media campaigns in metropolitan areas such as Charleston and Pittsburgh to recruit officers from highly populated areas. With the most recent signups resulting in application numbers that have doubled in comparison to previous years, Ruehmer feels the department is aiming in the right direction for new officers with the help from the leadership of Morgantown Police Chief Eric Powell.
“I think that is a direct result of the chief’s effort to get the word out there to try and highlight, for both the city and the police department, why it’s such a great place to work,” Ruehmer said.
The efforts to increase recruitment for the Morgantown Police Department also involved the City of Morgantown administration to highlight the job opportunities available in the department. This includes an updated job posting list on the city website, which includes listings for full-time and part-time positions, along with pay and benefits. Along with the separately endorsed 30×30 Initiative that aims to increase the number of female officers in the department, Ruehmer feels the city has been supportive in using any avenues to help recruit new officers.
“I think the city has been fairly aggressive with self-promotion on the city’s website,” Ruehmer said. “If you go to the city website, you will see there are plenty of job opportunities with what’s available, where the vacancies are, and where they’re looking to fill positions,” he said.
With expected turnover that happens for officers on an annual basis (i.e., job transfers, family relocation, etc.), Ruehmer also tells residents that he expects plenty of vacancies to be available for anyone interested in joining the Morgantown Police Department. Those who do apply are advised that they would need to pass the mandated Monongalia County Civil Service Commission written and physical exams, with the physical exams adjusted in accordance to age and gender. With applications to become a Morgantown police officer currently being accepted, Ruehmer encourages any residents wishing to serve their community to sign up online or in person at the Morgantown Public Safety Building on Spruce Street.
“If you know someone and you think ‘boy, they could make a great police officer,’ by all means, direct them to us,” Ruehmer said. “We will do what we can to shepherd them through the process, because that’s who we want as well,” he said.