Hinsdale Police Vacancies Draw Nearly 50 Applicants So Far

HINSDALE, IL — Nearly 50 people have applied for three vacant Hinsdale Police Department officer positions, which will start about $70,000 a year by next spring, the police chief said Tuesday. This is in addition to the three who are already in the police academy.

Police Chief Brian King said the new officers will replace retirees. He said his department's pay is "very competitive" with surrounding suburbs.

A decade ago, area departments would attract 200 candidates per position, King said. He expects to get about 60 per position by the Dec. 13 application deadline. He said one reason for the drop is that colleges are finding fewer students considering law enforcement careers, King said.

"The decrease is part of a national trend," the chief said. "We're just seeing people less interested in being police officers."

Applicants are required to have bachelor's degrees. Officers, King said, can find many opportunities to enhance their career experiences, including working on major investigation teams and specializing in computer forensics.

Hinsdale ranks well both statewide and nationally with its starting officer pay. In Illinois, average officer pay is $43,000, compared with nearly $50,000 nationally, according to ZipRecruiter.com.

Applicants will get two opportunities to take the written exam: 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, and 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at Hinsdale Central High School. For more information, email abenson@villageofhinsdale.org. The open positions include a list of requirements.