When I’m looking to hire a police officer, I’m not just trying to fill an empty position. I’m deciding who I’m willing to put in a patrol car, give a badge and a gun, and trust to make decisions on behalf of the department when I’m not standing beside them.

That’s a considerable amount of responsibility to place on someone, especially in a small department where one officer can represent a significant portion of the workforce.

I have to consider what that person will bring to the team, how they’ll treat the public, whether they’ll exercise good judgment, and whether the department can depend on them when things get difficult.

There’s also the reality of running the department while that position remains vacant. Somebody has to cover the shifts, answer the calls, and carry the workload. When staffing is already tight, I don’t have the luxury of pretending an open position doesn’t affect the people who are still here.

But the pressure to fill a vacancy isn’t going to make me lower my standards or the standards I’ve set for my department. I’d rather leave a position vacant than hire someone I don’t believe belongs in the job. Period.

I’m hiring someone’s judgment

An officer may spend most of a shift handling routine calls, only to find themselves making a decision in a matter of seconds that could affect someone’s freedom, safety, or life. They may have to decide whether there’s sufficient reason to make an arrestTaking a person into legal custody based on probable cause, a warrant, or another lawful authority., whether a situation calls for enforcement or a different approach, or whether the use of forcePhysical control, weapons, or other force used by an officer to accomplish a lawful objective. The force must be reasonable under the circumstances known to the officer at the time. is legally justified.

Policy and training establish standards, but they can’t anticipate every situation. Eventually, an officer has to exercise judgment without someone standing over their shoulder.

That’s why meeting the minimum qualifications isn’t enough for me. Certification establishes that someone has met certain requirements. It doesn’t tell me everything about how that person will behave when they’re frustrated, when nobody is watching, or when admitting a mistake might carry consequences.

I want officers who can think for themselves without believing they’re above correction. They need to be dependable, honest about what they’ve done, and willing to accept responsibility for their decisions. Those qualities are harder to evaluate during a hiring process than someone’s qualifications or employment history, but they’re also some of the hardest problems to manage after you’ve hired the wrong person.

And in a small department, those problems rarely stay between the employee and the chief. Other officers end up working with that person, depending on them for backup, covering for mistakes, or carrying work that should’ve been handled properly in the first place. One difficult employee can affect an entire department. One dependable officer can make that same department run considerably better.

The investment starts before the first shift

There’s a financial side to this decision that people outside police administration may not see. If I’m hiring someone who hasn’t been through the academy, the city may be paying that person’s salary and benefits for months before they can work independently. We’re also responsible for training, equipment, uniforms, and other expenses that go into preparing them for the job.

What it costs to send a new recruit through an Alabama police academy in 2026.

These are my budgeting estimates, not a statewide standard. Actual costs depend on the academy, the employee, and the arrangements the department makes. They also don’t capture every hour spent recruiting, interviewing, completing background investigations, or supervising someone after the academy.

And while we’re making that investment, the original staffing problem hasn’t necessarily gone away. Existing officers are still covering shifts, overtime may continue, and someone has to help the new officer learn the job.

That creates a difficult decision for a small department. Waiting for the right applicant has a cost, but hiring the wrong one doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. It may give me another name on the schedule while creating a much larger responsibility for everyone who has to work with that person.

The responsibility doesn’t end with the job offer

I can conduct interviews, check someone’s background, review their experience, and still make a hiring decision that doesn’t work out. No process eliminates that possibility. People sometimes turn out differently than they appeared during an interview, and even a promising new officer needs time to develop.

That’s where my responsibility changes from selecting someone to making sure they have the training, supervision, and expectations needed to succeed. I can’t hire someone, hand them a uniform, and assume the rest will take care of itself. If they’re struggling, I need to know whether they need more training, clearer direction, or whether I’ve put someone in a position they’re not suited to handle.

I’m also not looking for a perfect applicant. Someone who lacks experience may become an excellent officer with the right guidance. I’d rather take a reasonable chance on someone who’s willing to learn and accepts correction than hire an experienced officer whose judgment or attitude gives me serious concerns.

There’s another consideration that stays with me. In a small town, the officer I hire may be dealing with the same residents for years. That person will be making decisions, answering complaints, and representing the department in situations I’ll never personally witnessA person who saw, heard, knows, or can provide information about an incident or fact under investigation.. For some residents, their experience with that one officer will shape how they view the entire department.

When I offer someone a position, I’m accepting responsibility for that decision. I know the city will invest money in them, other officers will depend on them, and the public will have to live with the decisions they make.

That’s why I’m protective of the jobs I offer. I may need someone to cover an empty shift, but I need to be able to trust the person I’m putting there.