Crime & Safety

Laid Off New Jersey Cops: Fort Worth Wants You!

Only a few jobless NJ police officers showed up at a PBA job fair in Woodbridge, but the Fort Worth PD is hopeful that they'll get some of the thousands of Garden State cops to make the move to Texas.

It's been a tough economic year in New Jersey, with cities and towns resorting to the most drastic of plans - laying off police officers - to balance their books.

In January, Camden, a city with one of the highest crime rates in the country, gave pink slips to half its police force; Trenton gave the boot to a third of its force in September.  

But not every state is letting their police officers go. In Fort Worth, Texas, for example, their administration is set on hiring 120 new officers every year for the foreseeable future. 

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That's why recruiters from the Fort Worth Police Department were at the NJ State PBA in Woodbridge Thursday, trying to snatch up some of the experienced policemen for their police force that New Jersey towns have been laying off.

"We'll be going all over the country. The NJPBA has been great at getting the word out," said Fort Worth Police Officer John Choyce, the police recruiter for his department. "My deputy chief is from New York. He looked at the national news and saw the layoffs in New Jersey. He sent me an email, and said, would this be a viable option for us?"

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Choyce is an excellent ambassador for his city and his squad. "I'm proud of Fort Worth. It's a great place to live, work, and raise a family," he said.

From his understanding, "there are 3,000 to 4,000 officers in New Jersey who've been laid off. We'd love to talk to them," Choyce said. "It's very, very appealing to us to come here."

Despite the NJPBA's efforts, or maybe because the laid off officers are holding on to see if the economy in the state picks up, "only 7 or 8 officers showed up," Choyce said.

"We have a lot to offer in the way of our economy and our payscale. And the cost of living is a lot less in Fort Worth."

One officer has a 3,000 sq. ft. home with several acres of property in a good area. "It cost only $200,000. I'm not an expert on real estate prices in NJ, but I bet you couldn't buy a house like that here for that kind of money," he said.

While Fort Worth is looking for experienced officers, they still have to go through the police academy and are paid the same as new recruits.

The salary for the six months in the police academy is $30,000, which jumps up to $50,000 when the officer graduates and is hired by the city. "We pay recruits who are in the academy. You can't say that about a lot of cities on the Eastern seaboard," Choyce said.

There are other perks as well. Off duty officers can average $35 an hour to supplement their incomes. "We have huge amounts of work for officers," he said.

Some policemen even live rent-free in "upscale apartment complexes. They want officers there."

The police academy in Fort Worth runs three classes a year, with 35 to 40 recruits in each class. "We're hiring 120 new officers a year. That's unheard of in police circles," Choyce said. "Our city is growing by leaps and bounds. We want to make it happen."

Could this hiring frenzy have anything to do with the Texas economy, which Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been touting in his run for the Republican nomination for president?

Could be, said Choyce. "Our public has been good about seeing that public safety is at the forefront of what we do. There are several police departments in Texas that are hiring besides us," he said. "We're in New Jersey so officers who are looking for work can see our brand."

As tempting as Texas may appear, there is some police officer hiring going on in New Jersey. The NJ State Police were also at the PBA in Woodbridge while Fort Worth officers were doing their recruiting.

"We do have a test coming up. Our recruiting unit was there offering job information," said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a NJ State Police spokesman.

Despite the low turnout, Choyce is hopeful that he'll cull more experienced officers from the Garden State. 

"We want to make y'all Cowboys fans," he said. It was appropriate: the Dallas Police Department will be coming to New Jersey next week, in search of police officers for their PD.


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