Billboard promoting police jobs pops up in Atlanta, simply occurs to be for an additional division – WSB-TV Channel 2

ATLANTA — It’s one thing that shortly caught the attention of Atlanta law enforcement officials.

It’s a large billboard in downtown Atlanta, put up this week by former APD chief Erika Shields, asking officers to come back be a part of her at her new division in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Chief Shields is doing precisely what each different main police division needs to be doing proper now and that’s recruiting nationwide,” stated Kevin Knapp, a lieutenant at APD and the native police union president.

He instructed us Shields’ billboard has been the speak of APD this week. He additionally instructed us Shields’ plan may work.

“She has a number of officers that she is aware of very properly right here, and she or he could possibly appeal to a number of of them, particularly with the advantages that she’s exhibiting,” stated Knapp.

Whereas Louisville police are providing new officers as much as $11,000 in whole bonuses, Knapp says APD affords new officers solely $2,000 in whole bonuses.

We reached out to APD. They instructed us in a press release:

“Hiring amongst regulation enforcement businesses has turn out to be aggressive. Many departments are properly conscious that the Atlanta Police Division is a first-class company that gives high tier coaching which permits us to have a number of the greatest officers within the nation.”

Louisville’s recruitment efforts transcend the billboard. In a tweet they introduced that Louisville officers will come to Atlanta subsequent week for a recruitment occasion – conducting interviews on-site.

Louisville police instructed us Chief Shields was not out there for touch upon our story.

Whereas Shields tries to take some Atlanta officers, Knapp hopes APD will attempt to take a few of her concepts.

“All these different main cities are developing with their concepts about how one can recruit and how one can retain. We’ve acquired to try this and we’ve acquired to be one of many ones within the forefront,” stated Knapp.

This comes at a nasty time for APD, with the division nonetheless down greater than 400 officers.

APD is holding its personal recruitment occasion this Saturday at Lenox Sq. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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