Interest in working for APD is up

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - The Albuquerque Police Academy saw it's highest number of people interested in joining the force in January in at least seven years.

KRQE News 13 requested the number of interest cards filled out for the academy.

The numbers provided by the department show 455 submitted the forms expressing interest in becoming an APD Officer in January alone.

"I think its a combination of the recruiting effort, using new recruiting technologies and the cash incentives together that have worked to drive up our numbers," said APD's Director of Training Joseph Wolf.

Last November during his state of the city address Mayor Berry announced he was reinstating the $5,000 cash bonus for cadets who complete the academy and a $500 bonus for city employees who refer someone that goes on to become a cop.

The Mayor said he brought the bonuses back as a way to get a jump on a possible exodus of officers retiring to avoid changes to their state pensions.

Since that announcement the number of people interested in the academy has increased by more than 200 over the same time period the year before.

"Anecdotally it appears that its having a positive impact." Wolf said

However, the director told News 13 it's too soon to tell if those cash incentives are the driving factor for the increase, or if the influx in interest cards will lead to larger cadet classes.

"I think that's a good indicator, again it's not enough data to say we're succeeding but I think it definitely shows we're trending in the right direction," said Wolf.

APD has seen some of its smallest graduating classes in years starting with the 107th class which graduated just 11 cadets in 2012.

Wolf said the 108th class set to graduate this year is even smaller at just 7 cadets, well short of what is needed to keep up with the attrition of officers.

"Our target right now is to recruit about 72 to 75 officers per year for the next 10 years and if we keep up at that pace we'll be able to overcome the deficit," Wolf said.

The department isn't there yet but according to the increase in interest cards and the size of the 109th class, with 22 cadets, it appears they are making progress.

Wolf said the number one source of recruits comes through refeerals by current officers.

KRQE News 13 asked Wolf if he thought low morale on the department was a contributing factor to the lower interest in the academy the last couple of years.

"My sense is, I don't think there is a morale problem in the department I think there's an element of frustration but its the same kind of element of frustration you see in police agencies all across the country, APD is no different," he responded.

Since 2010 as APD has been hit hard by bad PR from all the police shootings, cops getting into trouble, the union bashing the brass and now the DOJ investigation, interest in becoming an Albuquerque cop has plummeted about 25 percent.