The Civil Service Commission granted the Hot Springs Police Department's request Wednesday for a special testing period next month to fill seven openings.
State law established the first Mondays in April and October as testing dates, but action the commission took in 2022 allows it to test when the department exhausts its list of eligible applicants. The three new hires from this spring's special testing period concluded the most recent list.
"That still leaves us with seven vacancies," Police Chief Billy Hrvatin told the commission. The department's $19 million budget allowed for 115 uniformed positions.
He said 21 applications are on file for the Sept. 7 testing date the commission approved, about half a dozen fewer than the number that applied in the spring. The commission plans to interview applicants who pass physical and written tests on Sept. 18. Testing accounts for 40% of an applicant's ranking on the eligibility list. A score of one to 25 the commission assigns after interviews accounts for 60%.
Hrvatin said applications are being accepted year-round.
"We changed that a while back," he told the commission. "We haven't quit advertising we were hiring. We have 21 on file. Hopefully, we'll get a few more over the next couple of weeks."
The 12.5% raise the Hot Springs Board of Directors approved for police officers last year increased starting pay to $51,500. Officers who are certified at the time of hiring are eligible for a $10,000 bonus. Noncertified hires are eligible for a $5,000 signing bonus.
Minimum qualifications include being 21 at the time of hiring, a high school diploma or an equivalency, a valid driver's license and no felony convictions. More information is available by calling the city's human resources department at 501-321-6841.
Hrvatin said the September testing date will give command staff more time to interview applicants and the department more time to conduct background checks before the police academy scheduled for early next year. The department has said background checks disqualify a large percentage of applicants.
"It's a pretty arduous process," Hrvatin told the commission. "We'd really like to have a little more time to do that."
He said Hot Springs isn't the only department struggling to reach full staffing.
"You have agencies all across America who are down hundreds of officers right now," he said. "Some are paying six-figure sign-on bonuses."
Crime Trends
Most criminal incidents the department tracks through its records management system continued to trend down through last month.
Based on reports officers logged through July, breaking and entering, 16%, burglary, 18%, theft, 27%, and vehicle theft, 27%, were down compared to the first seven months of last year. Nine robberies were logged through July, down from 18 last year.
"That's a good trend if it holds," Hrvatin said. "Some aren't real substantial, but it is showing a downward trend."
Shots fired calls were down 36%, going from 518 to 332 through July. Hrvatin said the lower number could possibly be a function of the acoustical gunshot detection system the city subscribes to. Its sensors are deployed across a 4-square-mile area.
Aggravated assaults and rape were both up compared to last year. Assault reports rose from 29 to 36 and rape reports from 18 to 26.
Tip a Cop
Hrvatin said the department's annual Tip a Cop event last month at LongHorn Steakhouse raised more than $10,000 for Special Olympics.
"We had the largest grossing event last year and again this year," he said. "The community really comes out for that and supports it."