CMPD officer hires up 69 percent to create largest recruiting class since 2010
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department had its largest recruit class graduation since 2010, which made a big dent locally in a shortage agencies are seeing nationwide.
CMPD said Recruit Class 196 graduated 58 members on Friday as the department is seeing an increase in hiring and expanded training academy classes to offset a sworn-officer shortage. These newly sworn police officers have now been assigned throughout CMPD’s 13 patrol divisions where they will begin the 15-week Police Training Officer program.
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This historic graduation is a major achievement for the CMPD as staffing and recruitment levels have dropped for law enforcement nationwide. In the first quarter of 2024, the CMPD saw an 86 percent increase in sworn applications compared to the same period in 2023, and its 71 sworn hires is a 69 percent hike from a year ago.
The significant increase in hires has helped reduce CMPD’s officer shortage to 191 vacancies, a 20 percent change. The current staffing number includes police recruits who are employed by the CMPD but have not graduated from the Training Academy.
CMPD’s salary and incentives remain among the best in the region. The department continues to offer a $7,500 hiring bonus for all new officers. As of Jan. 1, the starting salary for an officer before incentives is $57,192. Officers can earn up to $111,152 if they qualify for all incentives.
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