Grant will expand police force

COLFAX – The Colfax Police Department will receive $250,000 from a Department of Justice grant to hire two new police officers.

"It's exciting for us," said Interim Police Chief Bruce Blood.

Chief Blood has been looking to hire lateral officers since coming on as chief. Laterals are officers who have already been trained and have experience versus basic recruits who take longer and more money to get in the field.

"We haven't had luck getting laterals in here," he said.

The quarter million grant should cover the cost of two new officers for three years.

If the department hires new recruits, it will be eight to 10 months before the new officers are in the field. New recruits have to attend a four-month basic class and then do two months with a Field Training Officer.

To become a police officer, a person must be at least 21 years old, have a high school degree or equivalent and then take a public safety test. The individual then is put on a statewide public safety list and selects which departments they want their test scores sent to, which creates a list of basic recruits interested in working in that department.

The Colfax list has 24 names on it going back to Jan. 2019. Chief Blood noted that some of those names have already gone to other departments, but there are local candidates on the list as well.

"That's always encouraging," he said of the local interest.

Due to the long lead process of interviewing, oral board, background checks and more for basic recruits, Chief Blood still hopes to find a lateral hire. Lateral hires only need a background check, polygraph and psych evaluation and, depending on their skill level, have an abbreviated training process.

"It's such an expense hiring basic recruits," Chief Blood said.

Colfax PD is already budgeted for four field officers even though there are only three currently on staff.

"We're looking at stabilizing our budget," Chief Blood said. With the three-year grant, Chief Blood hopes to build a cushion in that time to help retain the officers.

The grant does not cover the cost of new officers' uniform and gear. Chief Blood said he is also looking into getting another vehicle to add to the department's three-vehicle fleet.

Chief Blood anticipates starting the grant-funded hiring process within a month.

The DOJ announced nearly $400 million in grant funding this week through the Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP).

The COPS Hiring Program is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers.

Funding through this program had been on hold since the spring of 2018 due to a nationwide injunction that was lifted earlier this year.

The COPS Office received nearly 1,100 applications nationwide.