Albuquerque police say word of mouth is their best recruiting tool

2 days ago

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Like police departments across the country, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is trying to boost its officer numbers. KRQE has reported on the department's recruitment initiatives, but they say they've discovered an unexpected way to recruit new cadets.
Although APD does hold hiring events, they said word of mouth has been the most effective way to get people to apply. KRQE News 13 spoke with one retired police officer who says he's found new applicants at the gym. 'The gym is just where I work out, I've already recruited several people,' said Rob DeBuck, retired APD Officer.
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DeBuck is a former APD officer who said he's been able to recruit more than a dozen people by simply having a conversation, saying it piques people's interest when he tells them he's a retired cop. 'I just tell them about my experiences, and I show them pictures of the horses and of the canine unit and the motorcycle unit,' said DeBuck.
'A lot of people are like, more than I expect, they're like, 'Well, how do I get into it?'' said DeBuck.
APD said they currently have 879 officers but are on pace for the first time in years to hit just over 1,000 officers by the end of 2025, bringing them to full staffing. When it comes to retention, they said they're also set to keep 20 more officers this year than in 2024. Lieutenant Jennifer Garcia says the number of career opportunities within the department makes it easier for cops to find something they like and stay.
'You can do something, you can do patrol, you can go work for the horse-mounted unit, you can go do crime scene investigations, you can be on tactical, you can run a canine,' said Lt. Garcia.
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DeBuck said he believes his love for the job inspires others. He recounted one especially memorable recruit. 'And he said, 'You don't remember me, but I went to Highland High School and I got into a lot of trouble back then and you interacted with me a lot and you're the reason I became a police officer,' said DeBuck.
APD said other factors have also helped when it comes to recruitment and retention, including bonuses for new and transferring officers. Between the police academies and lateral recruits, APD is expecting to add 70 officers to the force in the coming months.
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