Sheriff’s Office needs to recruit officers to match population growth
By Russell Clark | February 9, 2021 at 5:06 PM EST – Updated February 9 at 7:23 PM
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – Recruiting and retaining law enforcement officers is a challenge for departments across the country — and with a more than 30 percent increase in population over the last 10 years in Brunswick County, more staff is needed.
In 2020, the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office had over 200 applicants and only 13 percent made the cut. Sheriff John Ingram says the recruitment process has not been easy.
“They have to go through a number of screenings, mental health screenings, drug screenings. They must pass a review board — they ultimately have to pass a polygraph so there are a number of things throughout this process that could be a disqualifier,” said Ingram.
He believes if they can offer better incentives for education and experience, they will have better candidates apply. Sheriff Ingram says his staff is nearly full for now — but reinforcements will be needed soon. He believes this will help keep a pivotal factor in the county’s growth in check — the low crime rate.
“This year we’re looking at increasing some personnel in certain areas that are needed, just simply because of the sheer number of people moving into the county and with every single person moving in — that increases our call volume,” said Ingram
Right now, they have six open positions. For more information on how you can apply, you can call their office at (910) 253-2777 or head to the BCSO website.
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