A vacant patrol post at the Shawano Police Department had drawn 65 applicants as of Friday afternoon, with the possibility of even more coming in under the wire of the deadline.
The job had been posted for only about two weeks. Applications were to be postmarked by Friday, which means more might arrive in the mail early next week, Police Chief Mark Kohl said.
“I’m very happy and encouraged that so many people want to come here and serve the citizens of Shawano,” Kohl said.
The job had been open for about three months as a result of an officer resignation, but the Police and Fire Commission decided to wait until a new chief was in place before posting the position.
Kohl took over the department on May 1 after Ed Whealon retired.
The department is allotted 19 officers and has 18. An eligibility list for potential new hires in the future will be drawn from candidates who aren’t hired this time around.
The vacancy has drawn a wide range of applicants, including recent graduates and some still in academic programs, Kohl said, as well as seasoned veterans from Northeast Wisconsin police and sheriff’s departments.
The starting salary for an entry level officer is $42,716.
Testing of selected applicants will take place over the next couple of weeks, followed by interviews by the end of the month.
There is also an extensive training program the new hire will have to go through before he or she is ready to start.
Kohl said the department has been jockeying shifts and paying a lot of overtime to make up for the vacancy.
“I thought it was important we get this implemented,” he said.
Police have responded to 3,339 calls this year as of the end of the day Thursday.
Kohl has also been backing up officers on patrol, but that won’t change after the new hire.
Kohl said he looks forward to taking and responding to calls and even making traffic stops.
“It shows the officers I’m one of them,” he said.