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GRPD hosting police employment open house

Officers and recruiters from multiple specialty units will be on site to answer any questions candidates may have.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) is hosting a Police Employment Open House next week.

GRPD is putting on the recruitment event on Monday, July 17 from 4 until 6 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Police Department, located at 1 Monroe Center NW.

Officers and recruiters from multiple specialty units will be on site to answer any questions candidates may have.

GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that the department was in the middle of a labor crunch with dozens of openings.

"Our officers are generally speaking going from 911 call to 911 call. We have a very limited amount of discretionary resources that we can dedicate. Oftentimes, we're doing it through overtime, we're asking for officers to voluntarily come in on their days off to fill this need," said Winstrom.

Hiring more officers could me increased response times for the department, according to past comments from Winstrom.

GRPD, meantime, was doing what it could to fill openings, and there’s a strategy there.

A Department community engagement officer noted that too had changed with the times.

“[We’re] looking at ways to make the processes more efficient, and easier to navigate from a candidate perspective,” Lt. Maureen O’Brien noted. “I think you have to embrace technology and look at how to increase your candidate pool using technology, social media… to get a larger audience.”

Currently, there are about 30 openings for jobs at the department.

Applicants can begin applying for these open positions starting on July 14 and lasting through July 24.

 Text "JOINGRPD" to 616-433-1058 to talk to a recruiter today.

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