'It gives us options': Pueblo PD optimistic new strategy will help fill officer vacancies

The Pueblo Police Department graduated just three officers from its latest police academy, a total it has become familiar with in recent years amid efforts to address officer vacancies.

However, there’s optimism among Pueblo PD and city officials that those numbers could grow in the coming months as the city employs a new strategy to try and boost the department’s hiring.

“It gives us flexibility and options,” said Sgt. Frank Ortega, a spokesperson for Pueblo PD. “(That’s something) we didn’t have before. Each circumstance is different, but it gives us additional flexibility to hire more officers.”

Mayor Heather Graham brought forth the city ordinance that enacted the change, which temporarily suspends the city’s requirement to freeze eligibility lists for vacant positions, meaning people who are farther down on those lists can be considered during hiring windows. Graham believes the move could cut by at least half the department’s hiring timelines.

Previously, if a seasoned or experienced officer who wanted to work for Pueblo PD was outside of the first 10 candidates on the list, they’d have to wait until the next hiring window for consideration. The city could only hire 10 people for one job posting on every list, thus pushing those candidates to look for employment elsewhere.

The temporary suspension is expected to last until Pueblo PD reaches 90% of its authorized strength of 231 officers. As of April 12, the department was short 48 officers and would need to be at or near 210 officers to satisfy the 90% threshold.

The suspension is also expected to allow the city to better hire non-obligated candidates, meaning people who aren’t tied to a specific agency and are paying their own way through an academy.

It remains to be seen whether this latest strategy will work, though Graham is confident the change will “help expedite the process” for people to apply. She pledged to address Pueblo PD’s staffing woes during her campaign for mayor and often spoke about the need to hire more officers.

Last year, violent crime decreased in Pueblo, though auto thefts, a particular point of frustration for some Pueblo residents, increased. Pueblo PD Chief Chris Noeller has publicly spoken about his desire to see different strategies implemented to address the department’s staffing shortage, believing the department could improve hiring amidst an increase in calls for service.

Ortega said it’s too early to determine the latest strategy’s efficacy, and Pueblo PD will need several months over two to three academies to properly evaluate it.

An early indicator may come in May, when Pueblo PD plans to start its next academy.

Shorter academy for experienced officers should improve lateral transfers

Though much of Pueblo PD’s hiring practices will remain, such as its psychological evaluation, background checks, polygraph and other hiring protocols, experienced officers may be able to patrol the city’s streets sooner.

As part of the change, Pueblo PD can now conduct four-to-six-week academies for lateral transfers and Colorado Peace Officers Standards and Training-certified officers, said Haley Sue Robinson, the city’s director of public affairs. Previously, those experienced officers would have to undergo the same 26-week academy that’s required for new patrolmen, she said.

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That shortened academy will give seasoned officers, many of whom already have the training and certification to patrol city streets, a chance to see how Pueblo PD operates.

Out-of-state transfers may need more training compared to their in-state counterparts, Ortega said, but theoretically, Pueblo PD should have more flexibility to fill slots in an academy.

Graham said there could be around 20 potential hires that would take part in the May academy. That would give Pueblo PD its largest academy class in four years, Robinson said.

“Over the last year, I had been going to their graduations and sometimes they would graduate one,” Graham said. “The most I think I’ve ever seen was three. To be able to put 20 through would be a huge help.”

Pueblo PD is no stranger to running two or three academies at a time, but it’s difficult to pull off because of scheduling, Ortega said. The department could just run a shorter academy before managing the longer one. But it’s an option that could attract lateral hires and satisfy the city and Pueblo PD’s goal to shore up officer vacancies.

“It essentially makes it so we’re able to have a rolling timeframe for academies, whether it be lateral transfers or brand new officers,” Robinson said.

Change could offset early departures from Pueblo PD

The change could also offset, at some level, the loss of recruits who depart Pueblo PD before they finish their 16-week police officer training program, which involves riding with an experienced officer who shows them how to perform the job.

In February, Noeller mentioned that fewer people were completing the program when compared to 2019, when 36 people were hired and 26 of them finished the program. Just three of Pueblo PD's 13 recent hires completed the program, he said.

“Our idea is to show them what we do and make sure that’s what they want to do,” Ortega said.

Ortega mentioned that the department’s selection process, which involves psychological evaluations, can also dwindle the hiring pool. But because Pueblo PD could net a larger applicant pool from the change, those early departures may be less impactful.

Graham called those departures “normal,” saying it’s understandable that a new officer might feel the job is not for them after a ride along with an officer. She believes Pueblo in the coming months will be in a better position to handle them, however, since its opportunities to hire more experienced officers will likely be greater.

“They kind of know what they’re getting into as opposed to someone just graduating and wanting to pursue the job of a police officer,” Graham said. “I think that because we’re going to be taking POST-certified and lateral transfer (officers), that’s not going to be an issue.”

Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo PD optimistic new hiring strategy will address officer vacancies