St. Cloud Police Department Releases Recruitment Video to Attract New Candidates

(KNSI) — The St. Cloud Police Department released a recruitment video Tuesday, just over a month after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz stopped in St. Cloud for a roundtable discussion to tout his $300 million public safety plan.

During the roundtable, Mayor Kleis stressed to the governor the need for police officers. “Our critical need right now is retention and recruiting,” Kleis explained. “We know folks are going to retire. We hire in advance, so we don’t always have the same force on the street. In the last two years we could not have predicted the exodus in law enforcement.”

Officers have left the force left and right, citing job stress, PTSD, and lack of support.

The video begins by showing news footage from riots that erupted around the country following the killing of George Floyd in May of 2020 and St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson addressing the friction in some cities between police and the community, specifically communities of color. He says what people have been talking about and asking for in the way of police reform and community-oriented policing; the St. Cloud Police Department has already been quietly doing for years.

It shows officers in action with their families and in real-life situations, in training exercises, explains what the police department is all about, and highlights its diversity. It also highlights the diverse roles officers can serve, from the Community Response Team, a Mental Health Corresponder Program, to the SWAT team, the Violent Offender Task Force, Housing and Redevelopment Authority, K9 or School Resource Officer, Criminal Investigations Unit, the Community Crime Impact Team, or the COP House. It focuses on the department’s family-like camaraderie and team atmosphere and on building trust between the department and those they serve.

Members of the public also speak about their interactions with St. Cloud police, both in uniform and in street clothes making contact with kids and creating programs such as Shop With a Cop, Read With a Cop, and kids sports leagues to teach new skills.

In the video, Mayor Kleis explained that the St. Cloud community is pro-law enforcement, passing a property tax increase to build a new police station and hire more officers. The city budget passed in December increased funding for public safety. In the state’s budget, St. Cloud would get almost $1.2 million to use for public safety.

See the video and learn more about how to apply by clicking here.

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