GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Knowing retirement is just a few years away for several first responders in Grand Rapids, the police and fire departments hosted an open house Monday night, looking to recruit the next wave of public servants.
More than 300 hopefuls attended the open houses.
"With our upcoming retirements, we anticipate turning over as much as half of our organization in the next years," said City Manager Greg Sundstrom. "We need more people, so I'm excited to see all of these people."
The room had standing room only, and people lined up out the door waiting to speak with police officers and firefighters to learn more about what the career has to offer.
"I think it is very difficult to ask an individual to get into law enforcement right now, but what I tell people is I really see this as being our finest hour," said Grand Rapids Police Deputy Chief Dan Savage. "The public is watching what the officers are doing now closer than I ever remember in my career, and they're going to see that officers are doing that right thing at the right time. I think it's going to be our finest hour in law enforcement."
It's a dangerous job in the public spotlight, but many in attendance said that was not enough to deter the chance to earn the badge. "It makes me want to come out and become better with our community, and make friends with them," said Mohamad Abu-Rgaileh. "I want to be the police officer that's friends with our community. But at the same time, we have to get a job done, and we have to take action for that job."
"I'm very intimidated by it, but it doesn't change what I want to do," said police academy hopeful Devan Watt. "It doesn't change my mind one bit."
"It's a risk going into law enforcement, however it's not really a risk that's going to deter me," said Alex St. John, a criminal justice student at GVSU.
The men and women attending the open house won't be putting on a police uniform anytime soon: the police academy they would be attending won't begin until next summer.
