LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Indiana State Police (ISP) are getting ready to train the next generation of state troopers but the process of recruiting applicants has been challenging.
"I think that younger kids, this younger generation, is looking for different things than my generation is looking for," ISP Sergeant David Henderson said.
Full capacity for ISP is around 1,200 troopers. Henderson said they're short around 150 to 200 officers, mostly due to older officers retiring. While the shortage isn't major, he says it could become a problem if recruiting remains a challenge.
As ISP actively looks for their next academy class, Henderson says fewer young people seem interested, in part because of the 25+ year commitment and also because of a shift in attitude.
"I think it's just the way times are right now and the ebb and flow of how the United States public feels at times," he said.
In Louisville, LMPD is finding recruiting challenges too, down nearly 300 officers.
RELATED: 'We need more people.' | Amid rise in violence, LMPD says it's short more than 200 officers
"We weren't recruiting as heavily as we should have, but we weren't targeting as well as we should have either," Officer Andre Shaw said on the department's latest podcast.
Chief Erika Shields listed problems like pay, benefits and a culture shift as reasons for the drop in recruiting. She and Officer Andre Shaw also emphasized the need to improve recruiting of black officers.
ISP is offering incentives to people currently in law enforcement in other places. If an officer with at least three years of experience is accepted onto the force, they can be assigned to whichever district they choose.
To recruit people new to law enforcement, ISP is focusing on face-to-face efforts, hoping to change the perspective on policing before retention becomes problematic.
"If we can't get, if people don't want to apply or we can't get enough applicants, it will become a problem and we'll have to change our ways and adapt," Henderson said. "Just getting out there and meeting people, telling them my story, getting them to listen and get interested in being a trooper and finding out all the good things that are there."
ISP needs 50 recruits for the next academy, which is set to graduate in June 2022.
Applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 39, have a high school diploma or GED and must have vision correctable to 20/50. A full list of qualification requirements is available on the ISP website.
The starting salary for new officers after training is $48,000. Graduates of the ISP Recruit Academy also receive health coverage for themselves and their families.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.