GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County is experiencing population growth and is in need of new police officers.
"We [Gwinnett County] have such a booming population,"Sergeant Frederick Saldana said.
"It's going to put us at either close to or a million people in the county."
Gwinnett County had a population of more than 900 thousand, according to the US Census Bureau.
Saldana told 11Alive that there are numerous reasons why the Gwinnett County Police Department is seeing a small application pool including a "low viewpoint" of police officers and a "booming economy."
"There are so many other jobs available in other fields that people may have gone to college for and with a low unemployment rate, we're not seeing many people looking for jobs," Saldana said.
The department is making strides to bolster its hiring efforts.
Representatives with the Gwinnett County Police Department will be hosting local events and heading to Florida this fall in order to recruit officers.
Saldana told 11Alive, "The Gwinnett County Police Department's pay is competitive to other agencies, however there is still a pay gap with agencies of similar size."
Gwinnett officer recruits have a starting salary of $39,801.
Saldana told 11Alive that their are jobs available for anyone who comes in to apply and meets their hiring standards.
There are incentives for officers who have associate or bachelor's degrees.
The Gwinnett County Police Department is looking to fill more than 40 roles.
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