SLMPD cites county’s pre-recruit program as a success. Here’s what the numbers show
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s (SLMPD) Police Board of Commissioners last week approved a program to pay 15 future officers before they start the police academy. The goal is to keep candidates from going somewhere else while they wait.
The board pointed to St. Louis County’s pre-recruit program as a success. The county launched its version about two years ago.
The numbers: The county has had about 34 pre-recruits. Of those, 29 are still county officers.
How the county program works
The county runs two academy classes a year, so it pays hired candidates (pre-recruits) $19.31 an hour, the same rate as current recruits going through the police academy. Pre-recruits will work 40 hours a week, while they wait to start the academy.
Today, recruits on the academy track are a couple of months from graduating. Meantime, the county has four pre-recruits waiting to take their spots.
Jack Goughenour started as a county cadet and is now a pre-recruit.
“This is really one of the only departments that offers multiple opportunities to where you can get some on the job learning and training and see how it’s actually done,” Goughenour said. “It’s great. You’re shadowing whoever you’re with that day.”
Program results
Officer Michael Moore, St. Louis County police pre-recruit instructor, runs the program.
“It has been successful. I haven’t had anyone drop out of the program because they decided that they did not want to do this job based off of what they’ve experienced with commissioned officers,” Moore said.
When asked how the county protects its investment, Moore said, “You just have to make that program good enough that they won’t want to leave.”
That’s where the pre-recruit paycheck comes in.
Pre-recruit pay
Here is the pay breakdown:
| St. Louis County | SLMPD | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-recruit (paid while waiting for the academy) | $19.31/hour, the recruit rate (about $40,000 a year) | $56,732 a year, prorated |
| New police officer (after the academy) | About $63,000 a year | $60,918 a year |
“I live on my own. I don’t live with my parents. So, to get paid this makes it ten times easier to not have to stress about working another job outside of this,” Goughenour said. “”My focus is getting ready for the academy."
Goughenour’s wait to enter the academy ends in early January--when the next class begins.
“I’m excited. Ready for it to start,” he said.
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