Rusk PD seeks volunteers for interview panel
Apr. 12—The Rusk Police Department is seeking city residents and business owners to serve on an interview panel for potential new hires. Volunteers must be 17-years-of-age or older.
The police department received a Department of Justice COPS Hiring Program grant in the amount of $250,000, which will cover 75% of the salaries and benefits for two additional positions. The funds will be provided for a three-year period.
Five applications, all from East Texas, have been received as of Friday, April 12.
Interview panelists will be allowed to formulate their own questions and present them to Chief Scott Heagney. The interviews, to be conducted between Monday, April 29, and Saturday, May 4, will not be restricted to a specific time limit.
"I like to have a good back and forth because we really want to see into the person who we will potentially hire," Heagney said. "We're giving them a lot of responsibility, to take people's liberty, to use force, and we want them to have good judgment. You normally can't get that in a short interview. My practice is to have an interview that takes as long as it takes to get a good feel."
To volunteer, contact Chief Scott Heagney at 903-683-2677 before 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 16.
