Durham Police Hold Open House to Recruit New Officers

DURHAM — Enforcing the law is a tough job. Durham officials are looking for people who are up for the challenge.

Each Tuesday through October, the Durham Police Department will hold an open house for anyone who has ever thought about a career in law enforcement.

"They will fill out the application... we'll give them information about the department, answer any questions they may have. That's when the process starts, when their file will begin," says Sgt. Keith Cheeks of the Durham Police Department.

Officials are especially looking for bilingual officers to help better serve the growing Hispanic population in the Bull City.

Applicants must:

be at least 21 years old

have a high school or equivalency diploma

meet hearing, vision and physical requirements

have no felony, serious misdemeanor or domestic violence convictions

have no DUI or DWI convictions

must be a United States citizen

The open house starts promptly at 9 a.m each Tuesday through October at the Durham Police headquarters, which is located at 505 West Chapel Hill Street.

For more information, call919-560-4569.

The starting salary for a Durham police officer, is just over $29,000 a year -- one of the highest in the area.

Officials say that is probably one of the reasons they expect more than 350 people to compete for just 20 open spots on the force.

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