Fayetteville Police Chief Mike Reynolds speaks during a dedication ceremony for the Fayetteville Police Department’s new headquarters on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (Flyer photo/Todd Gill)Six area law enforcement departments are working together to recruit new police officers as part of a new national effort.
Departments are Bella Vista, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Springdale and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office have partnered with the Northwest Arkansas Council for the campaign, which aims to bring in about 45 new officers, according to a news release.
The agencies are members of the council’s Public Safety Consortium, which meets regularly to discuss regional issues. The group has identified police officer recruitment as a significant challenge, as the departments are all in competition with each other on a local level.
The hope is that by collaborating on a national campaign, the departments can all benefit by sharing resources to highlight the region’s quality of life to help fill the open job positions.
Four-person teams are set to travel to law enforcement expos and recruiting events in Fort Worth, Texas and Los Angeles over the next two months.
“We understand it can be a difficult decision to move across the country to start a career, but the advantages of living in Northwest Arkansas far outweigh the challenges,” said Springdale Police Sgt. Matt Ray. “Northwest Arkansas consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the country, and we look forward to telling our unique story to recruits looking to build a new and exciting career in law enforcement.”
The council has also created a webpage at findingnwa.com/police-recruitment to help recruits learn about jobs in the area.
