Filling the void: TPD Recruiting is year-round operation
It takes over a year from the time a recruit takes the Civil Service Exam to the time they hit the streets as a Temple Police Officer, and throughout that entire time, the Temple Police Department’s recruiting division is there to ensure they’re ready to serve the community.
“We recruit, we train them in house, we teach the academy and then they go to field training,” TPD Recruiter Jonathon McGinley said. “I keep contact with them from the start until they are a certified officer out on the street.”
TPD is currently in a hiring cycle, with a Civil Service Exam scheduled for Jan. 23, 2021. Candidates who pass their initial background checks will start the police academy about three to four months after passing the exam.
“The academy is five months. When they complete the academy, they come back to us and we do 30 days of in-house training bringing them up to speed on our policies and procedures,” McGinley said.
Then they’re finally ready to hit the streets, but not on their own. Rookie officers must first complete five months of field training where they’re paired with a veteran field training officer.
“From the time they take the test, it’s just over a year before they’re a police officer working on their own,” McGinley said.
During this time, they’ll learn what it takes to have a career in law enforcement.
“Probably the biggest hurdle for most people is the shift work – long hours, working at night – and the fact that they’re going to face adversity,” McGinley. “They’re going to face people who are having the worst day of their life and we expect our police officers to be professionals while doing so.”
Police Chief Shawn Reynolds said that while technical knowledge of police work is important, it’s not the first thing the department looks for when evaluating candidates. He wants candidates who embody the Temple Police Department’s motto: Honor. Integrity. Dedication.
“We are looking to hire for character,” Reynolds said. “We believe if we hire applicants with good moral and ethical character, we can train everything else to make them a great servant police officer.”
McGinley said the top priority for recruits wanting to enter the field should be a desire to serve their neighbors and protect the communities that they and their families live in.
“People don’t need to get into this career for themselves. This is not a 9-5, Monday-through-Friday job.” McGinley said. “The whole point of this career is to do more for their community, their family and people other than themselves.”
To learn more about how to become a Temple Police Officer, visit jointemplepd.com.