By Blake Haas
NORMAL – Like many forces around the country, the Normal Police Department is calling on those interested to apply for various positions.
Many agencies are looking for new officers, as many left the force over the past couple of years. However, Officer Brad Park with the Normal Police Department said Normal has a leg up on the competitors.
“We feel (the pay) is fairly competitive with some of the other agencies around central Illinois. And you know it’s not just the wages also. You know, a lot of things come into effect with insurance, tuition reimbursement, time off. We have a very good time off package for our officers because nowadays sometimes money isn’t the only thing; it’s getting that time off to go live your life outside of being a police officer.”
Speaking with WJBC’s Todd Wineburner, Officer Park said the department has openings for detectives, patrol officers, and work with the K-9 unit.
“You do need to be able-bodied to able to take on the demands of the job. You know, we try to make sure all of our officers stay not only physically ready to perform the job but also mentally ready to perform the job. With policing nowadays, the mental aspect of it, the ability to make good decisions in a stressful environment, is something to look at.
We just don’t look for the tallest, the strongest, the quickest, or anything like that. We look for people who can make good decisions.”
The starting salary for an officer is $63,000.
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].