The Council Bluffs Police Department has experienced difficulty in obtaining a sufficient number of qualified candidates to serve as police officers. The applicants that have been showing interest, have typically not been certified law enforcement officers at the time of hire and are required to spend several months upon the start of their employment with the city to become certified. 

While a newly hired officer attends the required training to obtain their certification, the department incurs the cost of the training (approximately $9,045.00 per candidate), a loss of capacity to provide service, and an increase in cost of overtime to make up the gap in service. Hiring certified officers is a win-win situation allowing the department to get experienced officers into and through the field training more efficiently. It also enhances our continuity of service by ensuring well trained and experienced members are out serving the public.