APD hosts recruiting event, hopes to fill hundreds of vacancies

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department hosted its latest recruiting event at its training center in south Austin Saturday in an effort to fill some of its vacancies.

Sgt. Destiny Silva in APD's recruiting division said attendees spent the day hearing from the department's different divisions to get a better idea of what the job entails.

She said currently the department has 326 officer vacancies.

"We really need to get the right people here to help us. If we get the right people here, that will reduce workload, officer burnout, contribute to the overall effectiveness of the Austin Police Department," Silva said.

Roughly 40 people attended the event, one of them being Adela Melendez of Cedar Park.

She said she's always felt drawn to working in criminal justice as an officer or a lawyer and has already submitted an application to APD.

"I'm waiting to hear back, my application is under review. And then from there we'll be setting up the civil service exam. It feels good to already have kind of a foot in the door," Melendez said.

Along with building ranks in general, Silva said APD is also working to fulfill its 30x30 Initiative. She said by the year 2030, the department wants to have added 30% more female officers to its force.

"I know firsthand how important representation is how important it is to have strong females contribute to this profession. We bring a unique perspective," Silva said.

The latest graduating class of APD cadets boasted the department's largest number of female cadets last month. Out of 39 cadets, 10 are women.