Cleveland Division of Police holds 3-day expedited recruitment

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The call is out for anyone up to the age of 54 who wants to have a career as a Cleveland police officer.

That includes 49-year-old Toleathea Sanders, who said, “I need stability for myself. I’m tired of living in the ghetto. I took it when I was 18 when I got out of high school so, I’ve been on the waiting list on these years. They just sent my paperwork and information to my house so. I decided to go ahead and pursue it.”

Her 41-year-old dream may come true as she joins hundreds who have pre-registered for a chance to join the Cleveland force.

The Cleveland Division of Police is currently budgeted for 1,350 officers.

They don’t have that many yet, so the division is beefing up its efforts to recruit men and women from across the area who earned the right to put on the uniform.

They are offering a salary of approximately $84,000 per year at top rank, plus a $5,000 signing bonus.

The stipend for candidates has risen from $10.50 an hour to $25 over recent years.

Those numbers are catching the attention of potential cadets.

The recruitment process in taking place until Sunday afternoon at Cleveland’s city hall and public hall.

The National Testing Network is using computers and physical exercise that includes push-ups and running a timed mile or mile-and-a-half, depending on age and gender.