NewsWest 9
MIDLAND - The Midland Police Department is taking their officer recruiting on the road.
This new Chevy Tahoe is not only tricked out with a special police design by local company, "The Sign Guy," it also features the brand that police want recruits to see, separating them from other Texas cities.
"The very brand of the Midland Police is to have a good, progressive image that other people can say: 'Well, this is obviously a department that's going somewhere,'" Midland PD Recruiting, Sgt. Alfredo Grimaldo, said.
Midland Police are looking for a recruiting edge with employees, trying to make their starting salary of more than $45,000 a year stack up against those of oil companies and so far they need to hire three new officers by October.
"Constantly we have to keep people here that we have already then we have to find people to replace the ones that may be leaving soon," Grimaldo said.
The Tahoe's not just a looker on the outside.
Inside, it has all the bells and whistles of a patrol car and a recruiting station on wheels.
"When people come to us and are interested in the Midland Police Department, we come and we bring them fliers," Grimaldo said. "We take them out on their run, do their written exam and come back with their information and put them into the hiring process."
Up next for the Midland Police Recruiting Division is the next part of the plan: a recruiting trip across colleges and police academies over multiple states, spanning from San Angelo State University to New Mexico State University.
