HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Police departments across North Alabama are actively trying to hire to fill their vacant spots. They are not the only ones as law enforcement agencies across the country face a historic crisis in recruiting and retaining qualified candidates.

Nationally, officers blame the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, low pay, and police criticism on the shortage. The Hartselle Police Department said they are having a difficult time filling open spots because they have strict hiring requirements. The Hartselle Police Department is trying to fill five officer positions. Their officers are required to score higher on their firearm training than what the state mandates.

The standards for the state of Alabama require a score of 70 to shoot a handgun. Hartselle Police Department requires their officers to score an 80. Candidates are also required to pass a polygraph test. That is not required by APOSTC and it’s not a common practice in the hiring process at police departments in the state. They also do not accept anyone with less than an honorable discharge from the military.

Sergeant Lesley Sheffield of the Hartselle Police Department said every police station should hold their officers to a high standard. “Just because you need a spot to fail when you lower your standards just to have a body,” said Sheffield. “When you start doing things like that, that’s when bad things start to happen. Because sometimes, people who were put in positions that, you know, don’t need to be there, not because they’re bad people, but they’re just not capable of doing that type of job.”

Cody Hardin, an investigator with the Hartselle Police Department, said crime rates will rise when there is any growth in a city. “But I think with the standards set for our officers, that kind of helps contain that crime rate, and our reputation with the citizens of Hartselle will also help contain that crime rate,” said Hardin.

Hartselle Police said they post open job positions on social media and also speak at college career fairs to try and connect with future officers. The Huntsville Police Department is actively recruiting as well. Kevin Becatti, a full-time recruiter for the Huntsville Police Department, said crime numbers in Huntsville are down and doing better than other cities across the state.

“Having more officers is just going to help us continue to help us keep the community safe, and help keep those numbers low, catch crime, prevent crime, and just stop it before it even happens,” said Becatti.

Becatti said the chain of command moves officers to whichever precinct needs them. They try to bring in more officers through the academy to make sure they continue to fill the ranks of people who leave or retire. “We’re making sure that we’re able to effectively stop crime and prevent crime,” said Becatti. “So that the chain of command, they handle those numbers properly, and they get the people in that we need. We hire people, and then we put them out to where they need to go.”

The Huntsville Police Department said they are looking for the most qualified candidates. “We want to make sure that somebody has a heart for service,” said Becatti. “That they’re qualified. That are here for the right purposes. That they want to serve the city and be a part of the community.”

The applications for the Huntsville Police Department will open on May 20. It will stay open until the end of September. Anybody who applies during that timeframe is eligible for the February of 2025 Academy Program.