(IntegrityPress.org) – After a severe shortage of new recruits, the Philadelphia Police Department has lowered initial requirements for its physical entry exam to allow more potential officers the opportunity to explore the career. It’s also just one of a myriad of clever new ways the department is expanding its recruiting efforts.
Nationwide many municipalities are facing similar difficulties, leading to a reduction in stringent requirements on past drug use, tattoos, and physical fitness. Los Angeles offers new recruits subsidized housing and Washington D.C. boasts signing bonuses in excess of $20,000. Some locations are hiring noncitizens and some reduced the minimum age for officers to just 18 years old.
PA Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) signed a law that reduced the requirements for the physical entry exam to reduce the number of sit-ups, and give potential recruits more time to run a mile. Philadelphia Police Captain John Walker said they’re already seeing more applicants included in the process; previously only 36% of those who took the test passed, with the new changes 51% will proceed to training.
Walker added that getting more people in at the beginning allows them time to improve over the course of their training period. In February, 100/265 candidates passed their recruitment exam and Megan Bortner was one of them. She’s relocating to Philadelphia after spending four years as a cop in Indiana. She passed both versions of the exam, having taken the original when she was initially hired in Indiana.
She said the changes were a good thing that allowed folks with less athletic competence the chance to build it up over time.
Philadelphia has suffered from an excess of violent crime as many cities around the nation have in the wake of economic downturn and mass influxes of illegal aliens. The George Floyd riots subsequently led to major efforts to defund the police and restrict enforcement for criminal activity which naturally led to increases in crime. The situation was so dire, that the PA House impeached Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
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