By Patrick Catezone
The Champaign Police Department has announced a new marketing campaign to increase the number of experienced cops coming to Champaign. The “Level Up” marketing campaign’s goal is to incentivize candidates to increase the number of applicants to the Champaign Police Department.
The Champaign Police Department is looking to fill more positions within the department due to a shortage of officers. The city is incentivizing applicants by offering “$20,000 hiring incentives for qualified, experienced officers.”
The city is offering additional incentives for police officers to move to Champaign as well.
“10,000 incentive for moving to Champaign – or even moving to Champaign – and an additional; 7,000/year residency incentive bonus for officers living in city limits,” the campaign states.
Not only will the campaign offer incentives but highlight officers and resources within the department.
According to the press release the city will use “photos of officers from our Department and highlight the many great reasons to come to work in Champaign.”
This isn’t the first time that the City of Champaign has tried to get more officers into the Police Department.
The Champaign Police Department announced in February a program to get more entry-level police officers to apply to the department. The department's goal was to encourage more applications for the monthly review of beginner applicants.
“Candidate pools will be pulled monthly for review as part of the City’s Entry-Level Police Officer hiring process,” according to a February press release.
Champaign is also struggling to find their next Chief of Police. The city found it difficult to receive enough applications and extended the application period before settling on three candidates.
There is no set timetable for the Chief of Police decision to be made.
Officers can submit their application for the Champaign Police Department at the City of Champaign’s website.