Tulsa Police Department Looking For New Police Officers

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- The Tulsa Police Department is looking to hire again, just as another group of laid off officers comes back to the force.

The police department will be testing applicants in mid August, starting the process of hiring the next class of recruits.

"It's a new era, the sun is shining again on the police department," said Officer Jesse Guardiola, TPD Recruitment Officer.

Recruitment officer Jesse Guardiola says the department has scheduled testing for new applicants in three weeks, expecting they'll need to build up a pool of qualified people for a new academy class sometime next year.

How to apply to the Tulsa Police Department 

"Well we haven't yet committed any dates to having an academy, but we're excited about the possibility and we're going in that direction," Officer Guardiola said.

The police chief wants an academy class to replace retiring officers and Mayor Bartlett has expressed his support if the city has the money. So far it's not in the city budget and definitely not in the plans before the end of the calendar year.

In the period of 18 months, the Tulsa Police Department will have gone from graduating new recruits, to laying them off, hiring them back and now recruiting for a new academy. As for now, there's no guarantee there will be an academy class next year.

Just two weeks ago, the department hired back 50 of the officers who were laid off and another 25 will go back on the job next week.

7/16/2010 Related Story: Tulsa Police Department Grows By 50 Officers With Swearing In Ceremony Friday

Some are still rookies but they'll be the last for a while. It takes at least 18 months and costs $80,000 to recruit, train and equip each officer. That's why the department will start testing now for an academy that might be almost a year away.

6/29/2010 Related Story: Tulsa Police Department Layoffs Cost City More Than $1 Million

"We're optimistic, everybody here is optimistic it will happen," Officer Guardiola said.

Testing begins August 17th, 2010.

To see a complete list of testing dates for the Tulsa Police Department and learn more about the application process, click here.