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MPD struggling to find applicants

T-R PHOTO BY JOE FISHER — Police chief Mike Tupper proposes a new hiring incentive for non-certified police officer applicants to help his department fill vacant roles. Tupper said departments across the country are struggling to find new officers.

Marshalltown Police Department Chief Mike Tupper pitched a new hiring incentive to the city council during Monday night’s meeting.

The department is seeing fewer and fewer applicants for open police officer positions in what Tupper described as a “national crisis.”

“It has nothing to do with COVID,” Tupper said. “This last time, we had six applicants. All six failed out of the gate on either the aptitude test or the fitness test. We’re starting over.”

Tupper said when he started his career in law enforcement 30 years ago, a city like Marshalltown would easily receive 100 applications, but he has watched those numbers decline ever since.

To compete with similar cities in Iowa, as well as the Des Moines metro, Tupper proposed offering a $2,000 hiring bonus for non-certified applicants. The officers would receive $1,000 when hired, followed by another $1,000 after they have completed their probationary period.

Non-certified police officers have not yet completed Iowa Law Enforcement Academy training, which costs the department an estimated $9,000 per candidate. After passing the academy, the officers are given field tests and considered to be on probation for several months. Tupper said many of the department’s hires were not certified.

“In the time I’ve been here, nobody has failed at the law enforcement academy, but several have come back and failed the field test,” he said.

Officers who go through the academy but fail the field test must pay the department back for putting them through the academy. Officers who leave the department before completing three years on the job must pay back a prorated amount of their academy costs.

Councilor Jeff Schneider asked Tupper if he knew of police departments “poaching” officers from each other. Tupper said it does happen, and it’s something Marshalltown needs to keep an eye on in the future.

“I’m shocked at some of the things I’m seeing offered,” Tupper said. “We wouldn’t have dreamt of some of the perks being offered.”

The council unanimously agreed to direct Tupper to return to the next council meeting with a resolution authorizing a hiring incentive of $2,000 for non-certified police officer applicants.

“My hope would be that we take Chief Tupper’s recommendation tonight, understanding that he is operating under volatile conditions and that he may need to come back at a future date,” said Councilor Dex Walker.

In other business

The council unanimously approved resolutions transferring titles to nine city-owned lots. These lots were made vacant by the dangerous and dilapidated buildings program. In January, the council approved auctioning off the lots with sealed bids.

The revenue from the nine sold properties was $25,007.

“Which is way more than we have seen in past property sales,” said City Administrator Jessica Kinser.

Kinser said she believes three of the winning bidders already owned adjoining property.

“I believe the remaining ones are looking to do something with (the property),” she said. “I’ve been very surprised to hear so many of them are looking to build homes for themselves on some of these lots.”

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