Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On the heels of a graduating class in June, the Hattiesburg Police Department began its second academy for 2020 on Monday, November 30 with Recruit Class No. 38.
Moving to two academies per year is a continued effort to increase public safety numbers for the department.
“Everything we do is dependent on numbers,” said Police Chief Anthony Parker. “From patrol to our specialty units like our quality of life team, bike patrols and more rely on having manpower numbers to staff them. Good manpower numbers are critical in helping to police Hattiesburg effectively.”
Holding steady above 100 officers, both Parker and Mayor Toby Barker have prioritized manpower numbers, with the goal to reach the department’s slate of 120.
“Operating our own public safety academies – for fire and police – allows us to be nimble. It allows us a unique position to train and turn out quality police officers and firefighters who learn right away how to serve our communities ‘the Hattiesburg way,’” said Barker.” “We graduated a large class this summer; and while smaller in size, coming in with a winter class will continue the momentum of meeting manpower goals.”
The Hattiesburg Police Academy is 17-weeks and includes 600-hours of training across a variety of categories including basic law enforcement academics, physical training requirements, policies, procedures and more.
“The state standards for municipal law enforcement agencies require 480 hours of classroom training for each recruit to graduate,” said Captain Tony Fontaine, director of police training. “At our academy, we go beyond that and require 600 hours. This fully prepares our officers for what they might encounter while on the job.”
This specific training approach is unique to Hattiesburg and it allows for each recruit to receive best practices for policing and an experience that is tailor-made for working in the Hub City.
The current manpower roster includes 103 officers, with several more in the process to transfer laterally. All recruits receive a salary of $25,000. Upon graduation and depending on education level, salary is adjusted to $35,000 – $38,000.
Additional benefits for recruits upon graduation include a pay-scale based on education and longevity, as well as continuing education opportunities with The University of Southern Mississippi, William Carey University and Pearl River Community College.
While recruit applications are only open before an academy begins, any certified law enforcement officer looking for a new start can visit hattiesburgms.com/jobs or call 601-545-4650.
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