West Columbia Looking to Recruit Police Officers with New Incentives Program
West Columbia, SC (July 17, 2018 at 1:52 PM) – The West Columbia Police Department has created a recruitment program to meet the growing need for qualified applicants. The new program includes increased starting salaries for police officers and ways to remain competitive throughout an officer’s career with additional promotion opportunities and other incentives to retain trained officers.
“The applicant pool for the profession of police officer has dwindled over the years,” said Chief Dennis Tyndall. “Recruiting and retaining the best qualified candidates for police officers has been a challenge for law enforcement agencies across the state. It takes nine months to a year to hire and train an officer depending on how fast we can get them into the Criminal Justice Academy. With our new salary and benefits package, I am confident we will attract and retain good, qualified, and professional officers.”
The starting salary for a new recruit to the department has increased to $39,964.09. If the applicant is already a certified officer, the starting salary is $41,602.23. The new program includes an $1,500 recruitment bonus for new officers, extending the range for take home vehicles, and a $150 monthly stipend for bilingual employees who serve the population in their daily work.
Mayor Bobby Horton said, “We are pleased to be able to provide additional resources and to enable our police department to attract quality police officers and retain them in our public safety program.”
“The most important thing we do as a city is to provide top notch law enforcement services for our citizens. We look forward to retaining and keeping the best officers possible to serve our city,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Tem Miles.
To apply to be a part of the West Columbia Police Department team, go to: https://westcolumbiasc.gov/employment/.
The City of West Columbia is situated along eight miles of the beautiful lower Saluda and Congaree Rivers. Known for being friendly, welcoming and affordable, the city also has top-level schools and a myriad of dining and shopping options, as well as exemplary health care options that are within a three-mile radius. The area is ideal for commerce, thanks to its business-friendly attitude, low taxes and utility rates. The City is concentrating on economic development and is eager to attract business start-ups and/or relocations. Additionally, major interstates, highways, the airport, and Columbia are just minutes away. When it comes to recreation, West Columbia offers kayaking, canoeing, tubing, parks, water-front concerts, 8.5 miles of walking and biking trails, and much more, including access to the renowned Riverbanks Zoo, Botanical Gardens, and Waterfall Junction. More information is available at www.westcolumbiasc.gov.
