NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Police Department is doing something it hasn't done in more than 200 years. It's hiring for a new kind of job.
"The goal is to have our officers available for emergencies," said Lt. William Pickering.
Pickering oversees NPD's training division. He gave me the rundown on a new public safety aide position in the department. The aides will work with sworn police officers to handle non-emergency calls. Two aides have just been hired. There are eight slots left to fill. Pay for the positions starts at about $44,000 a year.
"Our public safety aides are going to assist the officers with abandoned vehicles, parking enforcement," Pickering explained. "They're going to be able to potentially investigate minor motor vehicle crashes," he added.
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The department hopes public safety aides will eventually end up in the police academy, training to be full-fledged officers when they're 21.
"Not only can you get hired at 18, but you can actually start developing a career and start developing paying into a retirement," Pickering said.
City leaders hope the new safety aides will be another way to help close the department's staffing gap. As of September, there were 510 sworn police officers in Norfolk. The department is allocated 618 officers. That shortage may seem like a lot, but in 2022, News 3 reported the department was short more than double that number, 263 officers.
Crime analyst Richard James likes Norfolk's safety aide plan.
"It's either that or you don't have the manpower to just answer the basic calls for services," he said.
James is a former police detective in Norfolk who studies trends in law enforcement. He's noticed a steep drop in applicants.
"Because of the things you hear about law enforcement on the news today about officers being charged or being disciplined or, you know, a violation of civil rights, that creates a pause for some people entering the profession," James added.
National statistics echo the trend, though there is hope. A recent study from the Police Executive Research Forum shows for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, police departments reported an increase in staffing.
James fears that may not be enough. I asked what he believes this current shortage will lead us to.
"Unfortunately, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it's going to end up being subsidized by technology," James predicts.
He points to local cities already using speed and red light cameras to enforce traffic laws. James predicts it will become more widespread. In Norfolk, you'll find some of that tech downtown. The city rolled out crime surveillance cameras in 2022, placing them in visible areas to give officers a round-the-clock view of hot spots.
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I interviewed police and downtown residents in March. Back then, many agreed the cameras helped them feel safer. Statistics also showed a decrease in violent crime in the years since the cameras were installed.
But, they're no substitute for people. Lt. Pickering tells me the department is committed to building a force that reflects the community it serves.
"We understand that the more diversity we have, the better we can serve our community," he said.
There is an open house scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 18, where people can learn more about public safety careers, including the new safety aide position, in Norfolk. It's scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at Norfolk's Second Precinct building, 901 Asbury Avenue.
