The Waterloo Regional Police Service remains committed to finding its next set of officers.
Support for post-secondary students and an information session at Coffee Culture on Main Street in Galt are two of the latest efforts the service has announced in hopes of hiring additional members.
Students completing their degree in April of 2024 can get started on the hiring process early by applying before graduation. The WRPS will work around the applicant's school schedule to assist them in navigating the process.
Successful candidates can land a career with the service upon completing school.
A recruitment information session is also planned for Feb. 23 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 138 Main Street. Interested candidates can meet recruiters, get a feel for what to expect when applying and ask questions.
In December the Region of Waterloo approved a $14.4 million increase in the police budget, in part to help hire new officers.
Coun. Colleen James put forward an amendment to reduce the police budget by $1.5 million that was supported by Coun. Rob Deutschmann, who said that amount could be saved by pro-rating some of the new officer hires to April instead of January.
The motion ultimately failed.
While hiring continues to be a primary focus for the service and has been a hot topic in council chambers over the past few years, Andre Johnson, uniform recruitment constable for WRPS, said he's confident it'll be able to recruit the 18 officers it plans to in 2024.
An additional 18 are scheduled to be hired in 2025.
But it's not as easy as it used to be, Johnson said.
"Gone are the days where there's so many applicants to choose from," he said in January in regards to the services hiring goal for 2024.
"We realize, like other services, we're trying to replenish and grow with our communities and there's a need for qualified people. That's where our focus is."
The WRPS has created a uniform recruitment strategy focused on educating people on the career and focuses on a wraparound approach to attracting new talent, including assistance with the physical aspect of the process.
"We also include preparation for interviews and what to expect," Johnson said.
"For some of these applicants, it's their first interview process and it's different than other jobs. It's a multi-tiered application. We want to make sure we're getting the best people with the best competencies."
For more information on careers within the WRPS visit wrps.ca.