Willimantic Police Department holding recruitment event

Michelle Warren, The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
·2 min read

Nov. 18—WILLIMANTIC — At a time when it has been difficult to recruit and retain officers throughout the state, the Willimantic Police Department is holding a recruitment event on Saturday.

The Recruitment Combine event will be held at the police department, which is at 22 Meadow St. The written exam starts at 7 a.m., the physical fitness testing starts at 9 a.m. and the interview panel starts at 1 p.m. There is no cost for candidates to participate.

Willimantic Police Chief Paul Hussey said all of the departments in the state are struggling to retain and recruit officers. Currently, there are several vacancies in the Willimantic Police Department.

" We've been catching up for two years now and we've probably hired six or seven people since I've been chief," said Hussey, who has been chief since 2020.

He said Michael Haggerty and former Deputy Chief Robert Buckner retired recently and one individual, who he did not identify, will be eligible to retire soon.

Officers are also leaving for other police departments and private sector jobs, Hussey said the department also doesn't get as many applicants as it has in the past.

Registration is required for the event.

Applicants are asked to participate only if they meet the minimum qualifications.

In order to be eligible to be an officer in Connecticut, candidates must possess a driver's license, be at least 21 years-old and not have felony, domestic violence or A or B misdemeanor convictions.

Those who pass the three parts of the event will be given a conditional offer of employment. After the

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WPD recruitment event on Saturday

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event, qualified candidates will undergo a thorough background check, including a controlled substance screen, psychological assessment, polygraph examination and medical exam.

Hussey said the event on Saturday is designed to "speed up" the process so that recruits can get in the police academy faster.

He said between the academy and field training, it is nine months or so before recruits are fully trained. Hussey said other police departments offer better benefits, such as sign-on bonuses and better pay, making it difficult to recruit and retain officers.

One recent change that was made to the Willimantic police union contract is that officers are now eligible for pension after 20 years, instead of 25 years, the prior requirement.

"( Windham Human Resources Director) Paul Hongo and ( Town Manager) Jim Rivers did a great job trying to help us retain people we already had," Hussey said.

Follow Michelle Warren on Twitter — @mwarrentc.