KALAMAZOO (WKZO)– Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley said he would be looking for a new kind of recruit when he announced that they had 15-openings for new officers. That is apparent what he has gotten.
The class of 2015 is made up of 7 white males, 4 African-American males, a Middle Eastern male, one African-American woman and two white women make it a diverse group.
But Hadley says some come from other careers, some are older than their usual recruits and have different life experiences. 800 submitted applications and went through a rigorous screening program.
Previous experience was not a requirement.
The City will be putting them all through the unique training program it takes to become not only a cop, but a firefighter and an EMT.
In addition they will be put through the specialized programs Kalamazoo has adopted to make officers more aware of mental health issues, racial bias and consumer affairs when dealing with the public.
The additional officers will not expand he size of the department, but will replace some of the older officers who have retired or left. The total number in the department has actually been declining due to a shrinking city budget.
