Vernon Police Department Looking To Fill 8 Officer Openings

VERNON, CT — The Vernon Police Department currently has eight openings for sworn officers, its highest vacancy total in recent memory.

The VPD has ben advertising for new officers since late winter via the PoliceApp.com application process.

With 42 sworn officers, Vernon Police Chief John Kelley said the "town is covered," but the hope is that the department can get up to its full roster of 50 as soon as possible. It takes about a year for an applicant to be vetted, interviewed, hired, sent to the police academy, trailed locally and put on the road, Kelley said.

Kelley said Vernon is a "good department" that has been "doing what it is supposed to be doing" for a number of years. One example he gave was departmental accountability standards that have been in place for a number of years, extensive community involvement and the use of body cameras for seven years.

He said, however, recent negative portrayals of police officers and the effects of police accountability legislation have scared many would-be applicants away.

"I can speak for Vernon and Vernon is a good department," he said. "Vernon is also a good place to work because there is a lot of support in this community. "

Positions carry base pay levels of between $64,000 and $87,000 in Vernon, according to the posting.

"We are looking for a good men and women to fill these positions," Kelley said. "It's a rewarding career in a good town and we are actively recruiting new officers."