The Phoenix Police Department has just launched a new social media recruiting campaign aimed at getting the next generation of officers into the department's doors.
The campaign video is called "Find the Blue In You" and shows roughly 85 specialty units within the department that go beyond patrolling the streets.
"You can be a school resource officer, you can be a helicopter pilot, you can be a detective in metal theft or property theft, you can be a defensive tactics instructor, you can be a driving instructor," officer Trung Tran with the Phoenix Police Department said. "There are so many different jobs outside of patrol that people don't even realize."
The first video in the series focuses on the Air Support Unit who keep a watchful eye of the city from above and assist with everything from suspect searches to mountain rescues.
"We know exactly what the officers are seeing and what they need on the ground," explained Chief Pilot Paul Apolinar. "And we're able to communicate to them in a way that's familiar."
Apolinar took on his current role nearly 20 years ago. But, he admits there are other unique jobs in the department that tempt him to take-off again.
"If I had more time, there's still a probably a couple other things that...I would want to do," Apolinar said.
The department hopes that if the public sees more of a behind-the-scenes look with unique roles, it may push them to apply.
The need for officers is still great for the department to keep the city safe.
New numbers from the department state that they currently have 2,937 officers. They've been trying to reach a goal of having 3,125 officers. That puts them 188 officers away from that goal.
However, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association recently told ABC15 they believe the department should hire 1,000 more officers. That would bring Phoenix close to the police/citizen ratio average of the top 10 largest cities in the nation.
On Saturday, the department will have the chance for applicants to take the written exam at 8:00 a.m. If participants pass that, they can come back the very next day to take the physical portion.
But, it all starts with an application, which can be found here.
