CINCINNATI — Sgt. Dwayne Wilson calls himself a bit of an anomaly.

He was a big kid, eventually growing to be 6-foot-8, and was a terror on the basketball court in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He earned a scholarship in the late 1980s to play basketball at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Yet, even when he was shining on the court and in the classroom, he knew he wanted to be a police officer.

Sgt. Dwayne Wilson (right) leads recruiting for CPD (provided: CPD)

"I've known ever since I was a little kid. I remember watching the different police and talking to my dad about it. He was so proud and would tell all his friends about it," Wilson said.

He studied criminal justice at Xavier, but his passion for law enforcement dates back to when he was a little kid. 

Wilson dreamed of being in the FBI or the Secret Service when he got a bit older. But when he was a little kid, he wanted to be Eric Estrada, star of CHiPs. The TV show focused on highway patrol officers on motorcycles in 1970s California.

"We would be at a fishing resort up in Wisconsin and the show would come on and my dad wouldn't stop talking to his friends about how I was going to be a police officer," he recalled. "He'd tell them, 'That's going to be Dwayne in the future. You better stay in your lane and do the right thing or he's going to pull you over.'"

Wilson gets to tell that story often these days. He's a sergeant in the Cincinnati Police Department and in charge of recruiting and background investigations for officer candidates.

CPD wants you!

Right now, Wilson and his team are working to attract applicants for the next CPD recruit exam.

The deadline to enroll is Oct. 31. Testing takes place between Nov. 30 and Dec. 3.

The requirements are pretty straightforward: Applicants must be at least 21 years old by the time they complete training academy. They also need to have a high school diploma or GED, be eligible to work in the United States and have a valid driver’s license.

Applicants will also go through a standard criminal background check, a psychological exam and physical fitness exams. They'll have to pass a polygraph test as well.

CPD is currently short 113 officers. "That affects everything the department does, from staffing to response times," said Emily Szink, an information officer for the department.

They're looking to hire and seat 55 into the Police Academy sometime between June and August of 2022, Wilson said.

The shortage actually led to the police department recruiting its first “lateral class” of officers in six years. Lateral transfers are police officers from other jurisdictions who go through an abbreviated academy with CPD before hitting the streets.

Difficult time to recruit prospective police officers

Wilson feels being a police officer is not only an admirable profession, but a great career. He said it's one of the few that you can still get a "great pension" and other benefits, like tuition reimbursement. You can also be eligible for retirment at a relatively young age.

But they're having a difficult time recruiting people to the field, especially women and minorities. It's not something unique to Cincinnati. It's happening across the country.

Darryl Williams, a member of CPD's 111th Recruit Class. (Provided: CPD)

"The profession has an image problem. All that has gone on over the past six or seven years, everything people have seen on social media, has definitely tarnished the image of the profession," Wilson said.

"It's unfortunate because this is a great job with a lot of amazing people. And we need more amazing people out on the streets working with kids and families who need them," he added.

Wilson said they had 2,200 people sign up for their last recruit test, but only 500 took the test. He said some of that may be related to COVID-19 concerns, but the number is far lower than when he took the exam.

"When I signed up 25 years ago, 7,000 people showed up to take a test for 100 spots," he said. "So, the chances of making it are actually pretty good today. We just need to find the right people to fill those spots."

Wilson, who is Black, said it's important that the police force reflect the broader community. Not just racially, but also in terms of gender, age and even the neighborhoods where people come from.

CPD recently committed to the 30x30 Pledge, which is an effort to get their officer ranks to 30% female by the year 2020.

Darryl Williams, 56, is back at the Police Academy as a part of CPD's 111th recruit class. He started the process of becoming a police officer almost 25 years ago but was unable to complete the academy.

CPD wrote in a tweet that Williams has "never forgotten his dream" of being a Cincinnati police officer.

"I know what people like to say, but our police force isn't just young kids who grew up on the West Side anymore," Wilson joked.

"Some of the better academy classes have had a mixture of people -- people starting their careers in their early 20s to people in their 50s who may be looking for a new career," he added. "The police department should be a microcosm of society. The more diversity you have brings different life experiences and perspectives to the profession. And that's something we need."

Recruiting the best and brightest

Because they aren't getting as many applicants as years past, CPD has ramped up direct recruiting efforts.

While they're still connecting to criminal justice majors, they're also reaching out to social work majors, psychology majors, Black fraternities and minority organizations. Wilson called those "untapped" resources.

The United States military is another important recruiting pool, Wilson said.

"When you think about the calls for police reform, most people aren't saying they want to get rid of police officers. They want police departments to really take a look at how they're conducting business and handling different situations," he said.

"One way we can address those concerns is by bringing in people from different backgrounds and perspectives."

Female members of CPD's 100th Recruit Class reunite at the Police Academy. (Provided)

Another area the police department is looking at is college athletes. Not just football or basketball, either. All college sports — bowling, archery, swimming and gymnastics, too.

"Being a former athlete, I believe that collegiate athletes have great potential as police officers," Wilson said. "They know about teamwork. They want to stay in shape. They know what it's like working together with a group of people that they may not always agree with."

Wilson said the physical component of the job is one of the most important parts. And for some, it can be a bit intimidating. For that reason, CPD is hosting a series of training classes at the police academy to help teach individuals the skills they'll need to pass the physical component of the test.

Wilson said CPD is willing to "coach up" candidates to make sure they can past the physical tests. It's about finding the right personality for the job.

"Law enforcement is a profession that's vital to our community and it's important that those spots are filled by good people who are willing to do difficult work," he added. "We need people who want to work with communities, who want to work with the citizens, who want to help keep everybody safe."

Information about the application and recruitment processes are available on the Cincinnati Police Department website.