MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown Police Department has launched the “Ride with a Recruiter” program, designed to reach those interested in a career in law enforcement.

On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Police Chief Eric Powell said they are 14 officers short of their authorized strength of 76 officers, and he hopes this program will translate into more recruits.

“Currently we have two officers at the academy starting today; we just graduated two officers on Friday, and we have at least three applicants that are in the process,” Powell said.

Participants get to engage with senior leadership of the department and ask questions, experience various types of calls, and observe police as they interact with members of the community in different situations.

“It’s a ride-along program that we are trying to encourage people looking for a career in law enforcement,” Powell said. “It’s an opportunity to ride with officers that are already working the job.”

Once in the car, the recruit has the opportunity to watch the officer interact with the public and do their job. The officer also has time to watch the reactions of the recruit and help them understand the steps required to become a sworn police officer.

“It gives them a chance to get some insight into what it’s like to work for our department and also an opportunity to pick the brains of the officers they’re with about the process, strategies, and successful ways to navigate the process,” Powell said.

The officer has the opportunity to observe the recruit as the calls come in and are cleared. Powell said the recruits get a special preview of the department, leaders, and the community they’ll serve from the front seat of a police car.

“It gives us an opportunity to get to know them,” Powell said. “And start early on building relationships with people and understanding who they are and where they’re coming from,” Powell said. “It also gives us feedback on developing other recruiting strategies as well.”

Probationary officers with the Morgantown Police Department start at $25.27 per hour, with an increase to $27.22 upon receiving certification. A sign-on bonus of $5,000 is awarded to all certified officers upon hiring.