Conn. police department drops college, military requirements for entry-level jobs

TRUMBULL, Conn. — The Trumbull Police Department is now accepting candidates with at least a high school diploma for entry-level positions.

The change drops the requirement for applicants to have college credits or military experience for entry-level jobs, the CT Post reports. This change, unanimously approved by the police commission on Dec. 10, aims to expand the pool of potential recruits and enhance competitiveness with neighboring towns.

“Although we’d see like to see some coming from colleges, we felt that it was the time to open up the recruitment pool a little bit more,” Chair Ray Baldwin told the CT Post.

Public Information Officer Lt. Brian Weir echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of inclusive recruitment strategies.

“You can’t discount that because somebody can decide to work instead of going to college because, not everybody has that opportunity, but it shows they’re still doing something for themselves,” Weir told the CT Post.

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During the meeting, Chief Michael Lombardo highlighted that many candidates fail to qualify for positions at the Trumbull Police Department due to stringent requirements of either 60 college credits or two years of military service, the CT Post reports. Thomas McCarthy, the town director of Human Resources, noted that this year alone, 16 out of 45 applicants were disqualified on these grounds.

In response, Baldwin mentioned that the commission plans to contact these 16 individuals, inviting them to reapply under the revised criteria, offering a new opportunity for employment.

Lombardo noted that several nearby towns, including Bridgeport, Stratford, Monroe, Norwalk, Redding, Shelton and Wilton, also do not require college credits as a prerequisite for applying to their police departments.

Baldwin mentioned that the adjustment in educational requirements, combined with the reinstatement of officer pensions in November 2023, could assist in alleviating the department’s persistent staffing challenges.

“The pension was done away with in 2014, so we’ve been struggling with recruitment for at least the last five years,” Baldwin told the CT Post. “Then getting it back was a great first step, but, in general, police recruiting has been a difficult task for many police departments regardless of the requirements.”

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