GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro Police Department needs more than 100 officers. Short staffing forced GPD to temporarily cut specialized units.
That's why Lt. Kory Flowers said the department held a hiring event Wednesday to put a dent in the vacancies.
Dozens of folks showed up at the Greensboro police academy center to learn what it'll take to wear the uniform.
Aaron Smith and his wife made the drive up from Martinsville.
“Me and my wife were coming to apply to move down here and start a better life for me and my family,” Smith said.
It's been a childhood dream of Aaron's to become an officer, but life happened.
“My father got sick and I took over his facility for assisted living but that's not my goal," Smith said. "My future is trying to help the community trying to make a difference."
Aaron got to speak with recruiters and tour the police academy. A training school he'd spend seven months in if he's chosen to join the force.
“This helped me to say let’s give it a shot,” Smith said.
Nathan Boyd and Charlie Jimenez have degrees in criminal justice.
“I would like to focus on violent crime and domestic violence overall," Jimenez said. "I've studied a lot of it throughout my college career."
They're certain they'll be two of the 45 cadets joining the police academy in September.
“I've got my polygraph next so it's moving along,” Boyd said.
Lt. Flowers said that's the goal of the hiring event to get some preliminary testing out the way early.
The quicker he can get qualified folks hired to help fill their 115 vacancies the better.
“The chief has had to recently make some very hard decisions getting rid of some units that aren't specifically tied to addressing violent crime or patrol response times,” Lt. Flowers said. “We would want to reoptimize those units in the future when we're closer to full staff. That's the goal."
Boyd said he won’t let his city down.
“I grew up in Greensboro I don't want to see Greensboro go downhill,” Boyd said. “If I can be a part of something better than me that's all I want to do."
If all goes well, you may see Nathan patrolling your neighborhood come next year.
If you’re interested in joining the police force go to GPD Careers to fill out an application.