Area law enforcement agencies hold job fair in Weiser

National Night Out, featuring law enforcement and first responders, to be held Aug. 1

For the first time, area law enforcement agencies teamed up to hold a job recruiting fair in an effort to fill open positions.

 The event took place Saturday, July 15 at the Vendome from 12-6 p.m.

 Present were representatives of the Weiser City Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Weiser is looking to fill three patrol positions while the sheriff’s office is in need of four new jailers and two, part-time dispatchers, according to Sheriff dispatch Sgt. Jamie Rebman and Deputy Sheriff Sam Edwards, who attended the event.

 Other agencies included Adams and Payette County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as the McCall Police Department, all of whom are in need of recruits to fill patrol, jail, code enforcement, and dispatch positions.

 “The concept is drawing in people by having more entities available,” explained Chris Carlisle, a 28-year law enforcement veteran who previously worked for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office in California before moving to Council. Carlisle conducts background investigations for Adams County while serving as a volunteer for the agency in other capacities.

 “It’s about people having the opportunity for more positions,” he said. “Also, we all know we are in the same boat … it’s difficult in law enforcement right now.”

 Weiser Police Lt. Troy Krahn said the job can be stressful and dangerous, but added, however, that it can be a very fulfilling career.

 “It is absolutely the greatest show on earth,” said Krahn who served in the U.S. Army, with the 7th Cavalry and then the famed 101st Airborne. He served in both Desert Storm and Desert Shield in the early 1990s.

  “It’s a career you can really believe in. It’s hard sometimes and you can feel like you aren’t making a difference, but then you think, what if we took these 12 guys out and said, ‘Good luck; you’re on your own.’ What would that be like?”

 The Weiser Police Department typically consists of 12 sworn police officers, including Chief Carl Smith, but currently has eight with one currently in the hiring process, leaving three open positions that need to be filled.

 Some of the requirements to become a Weiser police officer include a background check, polygraph test, psychological evaluation, and aptitude test on top of the required POST (Peace Officer Standards Training) Academy.

 Washington County shares similar components in its hiring process.

 “It definitely takes a particular type of person, not that we don’t have a broad range of different kinds of officers,” Krahn said. “It’s that kind of judgement where an officer must keep a cool head and continue to use good judgement and de-escalate a situation rather than escalating it.”

 Krahn added that people considering a career in law enforcement don’t necessarily need to major in criminal justice in college because all educational backgrounds bring a greater base of knowledge to the department.

 He also noted the strong medical and retirement benefits that come with the job.

 To find out more about the Weiser Police Department, visit www.cityofweiser.net/police or the department’s Facebook page. For the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, visit www.co.washington.id.us/227/Sheriff or the agency’s Facebook page.

National Night Out

 On tap for next week is the National Night Out event scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 1 at City Park in Weiser. Sponsored by the Weiser Chamber of Commerce, the event brings together 17,000 other communities across the nation in all 50 states in a community building campaign intended to foster strong police partnerships and promote neighborhood camaraderie. The aim is to make communities safer and more caring places to work and live. Law enforcement and other first responders will be holding various activities, including safety demonstrations in a festival atmosphere. For more information, call the Weiser Chamber at (208) 414-0452, or visit www.natw.org. 

 Weiser Boy Scout Troop 350, sponsored by the Weiser Lions Club, will also be attending the event, giving a demonstration on how to set up an outdoor camp.