LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — The Lafayette Police Department is looking for new full-time officers. Saturday, February 8, they will be hosting their first recruitment day since the City-Parish Council approved a 14% pay raise for starting patrol officers.

“We just want people who actually have a passion for the job, who have integrity, who want to do this, and actually understand what we do,” explained Cpl. Kristi Strong

The recruiting day consists of a physical test of pushups, sit-ups, a sprint, and an officer down drill.

Participants must have a high school diploma or GED, be at least 21-years-old, a government ID, and no criminal history.

“We want people to be exposed to that just so they can get a good feel, and see if we are a good fit for them. Because once we hire someone, we invest a lot of money in them.”

Recruiter Cpl. Kristi Strong hosted her first recruitment day in November when the department told us they had lost 57 patrol officers to the higher-paying departments in just a two-year span.

“The more we hired, we were still losing more officer, so keeping up with the numbers definitely was difficult, and that’s ultimately why I started this recruiting day,” said Strong.

The department now has $40,000 a year to offer starting officers. That’s 14 percent more than before the city-parish council approved a pay-plan raise in November, which is helping retain but also recruit.

“We have the best training. We give the best equipment. We have the best family of officers. We don’t want to be a stepping stone. We want to be the top,” said Strong.

Passing the physical test is the first step in what could be a six-month or more process of vetting candidates. The best will be put in a pool, ready for the police academy when the city approves the hiring of more officers.

“We are people just like they are,” said Strong. “We were once in their shoes. Come out. Try. Talk to us. Get to know us.”

The recruitment day will be Feb. 8th at 9 a.m. at the Teurlings Catholic High School football field.

Come with a valid state ID and clothes you’re ready to sweat in.