Something new at Danville Area Community College on Wednesday (October 9th), in the parking lot along East Main Street, was intended to help find students interested in careers in criminal justice and law enforcement. DACC Criminal Justice professor Rickey Williams, Sr says the timing of this first Criminal Justice and Public Service Expo was no accident. Municipal, county, state, and federal agencies such as the FBI were in attendance to speak with interested students. And Williams says right now you have the largest shortage of police officers and criminal justice workers since the 80s. A lot of people were hired into the field at that time to fill the shortage. But now, those people are retiring; and it’s time to recruit hard once again.
AUDIO: There’s not an agency, literally, that is not asking for criminal justice professionals. That’s from the judicial system; department of corrections; and state, local, and federal agencies. So everybody; it’s kind of like it was back in ’84 and ’85 where they were asking for people. They needed people. So, we’re attempting to get people interested; into this field. Criminal Justice touches every aspect of our life.
(Middle Picture) DACC Criminal Justice Professor Rickey Williams, Sr says substantial police and criminal justice retirements have created the largest shortage of personnel in law enforcement since the mid-80s.
Danville Police Chief Christopher Yates says the shortage is there, but having people who are interested in law enforcement work is also there. He says the trick is keep hiring expectations up, and bring in people that can serve for a long time.
AUDIO: We’re seeing maybe lower numbers, but we’re maintaining quality. So the people that we are getting tested, they’re doing very well. We maintain our standards, our training standards; and what it takes to become a fully certified non-probationary officer, that’s going to be with us for a while. You know, that’s the toughest part.
(Middle Picture) Danville Police Chief Christopher Yates explains some things about his department’s Police Rescue Vehicle to Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr.
Professor Rickey Williams, Sr says another factor in the shortage has been the impact of some negative things, such as the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Williams says some of his students at the time asked him, “What do we do?” His response was, “Stay the course and keep doing what you’re doing. We need good people in this field.”
