LEXINGTON, Ky. — Law enforcement agencies across the country are having difficulty recruiting new officers, a trend that has intensified during the pandemic.

The Lexington Police Department feels the effects of the trend and is currently more than 100 officers short of being fully staffed. Fraternal Order of Police Bluegrass Lodge 4 President Jeremy Russell said Lexington officers began leaving the department in April and May of 2020.

In an attempt to reverse the trend and ramp up recruitment efforts, the city of Lexington’s Department of Public Safety hosted a job fair at which prospective employees could meet with hiring representatives from not only the police department but also the Lexington Fire Department, community corrections, E-911 and code enforcement, which are also experiencing staff shortages.

Carter Johnson, 17, of Nicholasville, is a member of the Lexington Police Department's Explorer Program. (Brandon Roberts/Spectrum News 1)

Officer McKenzie Willoughby, Lexington Police Department recruiting coordinator, said all public safety departments have openings currently. The job fair is designed to show the opportunities available in Lexington and allow people to ask questions.

“We've had a good response so far,” Willoughby said. “We always wish the responses were better. We want as many people as possible to be hired. We're thankful for the ones that showed up to ask questions and let us help answer whatever questions they may have.”

A shortage of officers and more violent crime in Lexington has hampered the department’s response times. Russel said responding to calls of violent crimes takes more time and requires more officers than other calls, which makes the shortage even more of a predicament.

“To some, an increase of two or three minutes may not seem significant,” Russell said. “Admittedly, if you are calling for a collision report or a theft report, two or three minutes is not an issue. However, when you call because there is a suspicious person, an injury collision, someone breaking into your home, or someone has been assaulted, two or three minutes can absolutely have a life or death impact. The Lexington Police Department needs more officers, and they need open support from the city leaders and citizens of Lexington.”

For most departments, Lexington’s included, recruiting can never start too early. Carter Johnson, 17, of Nicholasville, is a member of the LPD’s Police Explorer Post No. 357, an instructional program for young men and women aged 14-21 who are interested in law enforcement.

“My entire family has worked as either police officers or firefighters, and the outreach program in Jessamine County got me into it as well,” he said. “It gets you a good feeling for it. But I've always wanted to be either a police officer or a firefighter, and this program got me interested in being a police officer now — my family history put me into it as well. I didn't really ever think about, ‘Is this what I want to do?’ I just knew it’s what I was going to do.” 

Geraldyn Navarro, 17, of Lexington, plans to become a police officer. The Dunbar High School senior is a member of the Lexington Police Department's Explorer Program. (Brandon Roberts/Spectrum News 1)

He said the anti-police narratives that have been national topics of discussion recently had not swayed his interest in becoming an officer.

“The whole environment now, with everything being under a microscope, it takes a special person to be able to get out there and know that you're going to make a difference and know that you might be looked at for hours on end for one second of what you have done,” Johnson said. “But anyone out there that wants to be a police officer, just keep going. Once you become a police officer, it’s going to be your favorite thing to do — to get up in the morning, put that uniform on and help people. That's what we all live for, is just to go out there and help the public and get ready to make a difference in someone's life that day.”

Geraldyn Navarro, 17, of Lexington, is also a member of the explorer program. Unlike Johnson, she has no family history in law enforcement. Her interest in becoming a police officer stems from community service.

“It was something that just came out of nowhere, honestly,” she said. “I've always been interested in helping my community, so I think being in law enforcement will help a lot in my community specifically because they will see a Latina woman as something that not many people would see them as.” 

Navarro said she is laser-focused on becoming a police officer has been since she made her career decision several years ago. The Dunbar High School senior plans to attend college and earn a degree in criminal justice or a related field. 

“This is what I really want to do,” she said. “Nothing else is going to get in the way of it.”

If you or someone you know is interested in applying for a position, they can do so at the City of Lexington's website.