The Hewitt Police Department is now hiring. In order to attract more applicants, the department made a change as to who can apply.
Chief Jim Devlin, with the Hewitt Police Department, said that now a person can apply whether or not they have a peace officer certification.
"We used to only accept certified officers, which means they had already been through the police academy," Devlin said. "We changed that rule to where we can hire folks who have not been through the police academy, and we pay to have them go through the police academy."
Devlin said the change was made to encourage a more diverse group of people to apply.
"It just opens it up to a broader segment of folks that have maybe thought about getting into public service," Devlin said. "If you meet the criteria and you’re the best person for the job, we’ll put you through."
The chief said since the change has been made, the department has had at least double the number of applicants than they would usually have.
"It’s worked out, it’s worked out really well for us and I couldn’t be happier with it," Devlin said. "I think the last break down was about 80 percent were non-certified, and 20 percent were certified."
Officer John Mills is one of the first people who was hired by the department, and put through the academy.
"[I] just wanted to better myself and make something of myself, and the position was open, so I applied for it," Mills said. "Myself and another officer named Andrew, actually, we were the first two that Hewitt’s actually run through the academy."
Mills said that having the academy paid for by the police department made him even more willing to make sure he does a great job.
"It was a joy actually," Mills said. "The fact that the city paid for me to go through it means a lot to me, and I want to do my best for them."
The chief said that anyone who is interested in applying for one of the two positions available should submit their applications by October 17, 2016.
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