LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas Metro police are ramping up their efforts to recruit and fill vacancies within the department.
In 2024, LVMPD tells Channel 13 it’s hoping to hire 400 police officers and 200 corrections officers.
“We’re a very busy section right now, and it’s a good thing,” said Rebecca Mauga, who’s been with the department for 18 years.
Mauga now helps recruit the newest members of the department. “With how fast our city is growing, we definitely need to keep hiring,” Mauga said.
A larger population, more attractions, plus a staggering number of retiring officers are all things that have contributed to Metro's current police shortage.
It's a problem Mauga says has started to impact how effectively they can serve the valley. “If you call 311, that means a longer hold time. A longer hold time means longer response time,” Mauga said.
But Mauga added some new strategies implemented by the department that seem to be working. In recent years, LVMPD put up promotional billboards from coast to coast.
They’ve also had teams travel to different cities to showcase what the department offers. “People always ask what the bonus is. The bonus is that you’ll have a retirement at the end of your career, you’ll have benefits, and you’ll have something tangible,” Mauga said.
On September 23rd, LVMPD will host one of its largest recruitment events at the events center inside Resorts World Las Vegas.
The job fair will be open to the public starting at 2 p.m. and runs until 5 p.m. People interested in participating in the testing portion have until 3 p.m. on September 12, 2023, to complete the application online.
Job openings range from police and corrections to dispatch and crime scene analysts. “At the event, they’ll be able to find out what it takes to work in these units,” Mauga said.
LVMPD tells Channel 13 that, on average, 1 out of every five applicants makes it into an academy. Pay for the position starts at $60,000. “We just want to make sure Las Vegas is taken care of,” Mauga said.
