El Paso Police Require 5-Year Commitment Of New Recruits

By Darren Hunt

EL PASO — The problem is a growing one, but it is growth that the El Paso Police Department lacks when it trains officers who then leave to more lucrative agencies.

Now, the department is doing something to preventquick turn-around and losing recruits to better paying law enforcement groups. Those wishing to prove themselves as El Paso police officers will now find their commitment is long-term one, otherwise they pay the price, literally.

The El Paso Police Department is requiring new recruits to sign an agreement for a five-year term of service. If the new officer leaves the department for another agency during that time, they would be required to pay back the cost of training depending on time spent serving the department; that cost could beup to $14,000.

“It’s a big concern, the turnover. We do have a lot of federal agencies that do have the funds that start [recruits]off a lot higher,” said Officer Sylvia Garcia, a recruiter with EPPD.

First year officers with the department are salaried at $34,500 a year, compared to first year agents with the Border Patrol who start at $45,000 a year. Speaking to representatives at a criminal justice career fair held at UTEP Wednesday, ABC-7 was able to compare other ‘starting pay’ numbers.

Albuquerque Police Department — $39,000 Midland Police Department — $41,000 Las Vegas Police Department — $54,000 Austin Police Department — $61,000

The EPPD said the plan was recently implemented with a new training class that began in January. Already facing a shortage, the department said they had lost ten officers to other law enforcement agencies in the past five months.