Yakima Police Recruiting Officers to Area

The Yakima Police Department is hoping to recruit other officers from around the country.

Lt. Mike Merryman says he is traveling to Tuscon, Ariz. this week to try and entice officers from that area to come to Yakima. “We are simply looking for people who can start work in Yakima faster and we just want them to take a look at what we have to offer.”

Merryman says the aim is to get new officers on the street faster then waiting for new recruits to go through the state academy.

New recruits could take upwards of three years before they are actually ready to become full-time officers. Officers from other areas could come to Yakima and hit the street in a matter of weeks.