(BEDFORD) – The Bedford Police Department stays busy every shift, from patrolling neighborhoods to engaging with the community at special events.
In 2019, Bedford Police officers responded to more than 40,000 calls for assistance. The dispatch center at the Bedford Police Department received 6,400 calls from 911.
The Bedford Police Department tries to maintain a staffing level of 33 sworn officers. Of those two are School Resource Officers.
The Bedford Police Department is currently looking to hire two new officers to get its staffing level back to normal. For those two positions, sixteen people have currently applied, according to Bedford Police Chief Terry Moore.
Trying to find qualified applicants has been a challenge for police departments across the country.
“When the economy is good it is difficult to fill police officer jobs,” said Chief Moore. “When I applied back in 1998, there were two openings. There were forty individuals who applied.”
The starting annual salary for a probationary police officer is $46,000.
Police officers of today face a challenging job keeping a community safe and then suffer criticisms on how they do their job. However, according to Chief Moore, in Lawrence County, the community has been an asset in allowing officers to do their our job and demonstrating their support.
“The Bedford community has always supported our law enforcement officers and for that we are grateful,” said Chief Moore.
