The Truth Staff
Once again the Toledo Police Department is seeking recruits for its upcoming police class – the one that starts in March 2023. That effort is being led by Sgt. Lourdes Rocha of the TPD Backgrounds and Recruitment Unit.
It’s an effort, says Rocha, geared to both building up the number of sworn officers and to increasing the diversity within the department to reflect the population of the city the department serves.
The ultimate goal, established by Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, is to bring the number of police officers to 700. Currently the department has 641 sworn officers and the class currently in session that started on June 25, has 40 students. However, getting to 700 will be no small task says Rocha.
“We’re trying to keep up with retirements,” she says of the ongoing struggle to maintain numbers in an age when officers see opportunities to leave the department with their pensions after 25 years.
“You can stay longer,” she says, “but a lot are now leaving sooner than expected.”
Rocha joined the Recruitment Unit four years ago in an effort to ensure that area residents knew of the opportunities available. “I wanted to give back to the community by showing what the department has to offer – there are a lot of different things we offer as a career,” she says.