Iowa City Police Looking For More Officers

If you're looking for a job in law enforcement, the Iowa City Police Department would like to speak with you, and soon! The department is looking to hire officers as soon as possible as due to a lack of officers, they are severely short staffed.

KCRG reports that police officials say the current shortage is due to a combination of officers choosing to either retire or simply leave the profession. Cpt. Denise Brotherton told KCRG that they have people "working overtime shifts, it just starts to drain on the staff that we have." Brotherton said that the department is currently down eight officers, but that those numbers can fluctuate. The department would like to hire 10 more officers to add to their force.

Get our free mobile app

Brotherton told KCRG that the department has been "behind the game on keeping out staffing up when we've lost officers to retirement or other issues." The reasons that officers choose to walk away from the profession vary, but Brotherton wonders if last summer's protests in Iowa City have contributed to the number of officers leaving the force.

The Iowa City Police Department released recruiting videos this week to try and draw in as many applicants as possible, according to KCRG. The hiring process has also been backed up due to the ongoing pandemic because aspiring officers have to take both written and physical tests. The department is also offering a $5,000 signing bonus to Iowa Law Enforcement Academy certified officers. Officers certified through the academy will also be able to start their training with the department right away.