With the possibility of more than 100 police officers eligible for retirement, combined with expected city growth, the Plano Police Department is hiring more officers.

“We are anticipating some expansion in our city and growth with many of the urban town centers going up,” said David Tilley, the public information officer for Plano Police Department.

Currently the department has seven openings and has asked for more positions to be included in the next budget. It takes between eight weeks and more than a year for a potential employee to be hired, trained in the academy, certified and working as a police officer.

“It does take a long time from the initial point of taking the test and to the time when the person makes it to the street,” Tilley said. “When you lose people and it takes a long time to get a new recruit—that is a deficit that you have to cover up in your department.”

Tilley said the department’s aim is to keep the patrol department highly staffed because those are the officers who monitor the city at all times.

The department wants to recruit officers who reflect the community they serve. Being able to communicate and establish a connection with different groups in the community is crucial for a police department’s day-to-day work.

“We believe that our department and officers should somewhat mirror the citizens of our community,” Tilley said. “We want to get more women into our profession. We want to get more minority groups in our profession.”

Some police officers who are eligible for retirement choose to continue working with the department, which helps in the recruitment process, Tilley said.

Eligibility requirements include being a U.S. citizen, being at least 21-years-old, having a bachelor’s degree and passing a background check. Interested applicants can submit their applications before May 6. A written civil service examination is scheduled for May 21 at Plano West High School. Tutoring is available for free for both the written test and fitness test.

For details about eligibility, deadlines and application process visit http://www.plano.gov/433/Employment