LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Friday, nine new officers were sworn into the Louisville Metro Police Department during a ceremony at Louisville Slugger Field.
Louisville Metro Deputy Mayor David James and Interim Police Chief Paul L. Humphrey gave the oath of office.
Of the nine members of Class 59, three recruits have prior military experience and one has prior law enforcement experience.
"This group of nine new police officers are going to be the thing that takes us into the future," Humphrey said. "Leadership is one thing but it's the work they're going to do out there in the street that's going to get the job done. So, I'm here to make sure that they're supported, guided, given the proper leadership to do their job the best that they can."
He said this graduation isn't about comparing his administration to others, but about these new recruits recognizing that the community needs their work and effort.
This class is small, but Humphrey says he's proud to have them on board.
"We need more officers, that's no secret. Everyone knows we are short officers," he said.
Humphrey said the department is still short more than 250 officers. He says they need full academy classes of 48 people.
According to data from previous news releases LMPD has sent to WHAS11 about previous graduation numbers, here is the class size breakdown in recent years:
DATE: CLASS SIZE:
8/30/24 9
4/17/24 17
12/15/23 20
12/9/22 26
8/12/22 20
5/27/22 18
9/29/21 16
2/12/21 28
9/13/19 41
12/21/18 32
8/10/18 35
3/21/18 30
The interim police chief said there is still more recruiting to be done. He said a big part of their recruiting efforts is focusing on fostering a sense of pride among officers and in the community about the police force.
"You asked what I want to see out of them, I want to see them recruit new officers," Humphrey said. "The best way to get people through the door, in this profession, is by making the people who are here really proud about their job and really proud about the work that they do. And so if we can instill that pride in them, they're going to turn around to their friends and say, 'Hey come do this job with me.'"
He says more officers are needed and they are always hiring. If you want to join their ranks you can apply on their website.
Currently, LMPD is at 1,037 officers and authorized strength for the department is 1,330.
"Recruitment has to be as much a priority as anything else," Humphrey said.
He says they are working to go out and identify people who may be good at the job but aren't aware of the opportunity.
"If we identify the character and the work ethic, we'll give you the skill set," Humphrey said.
The nine new recruits will begin assignments on Sunday. They will be assigned to various divisions within LMPD.
