Mason City police using new alternatives to recruit officers

(ABC 6 News) – The Mason City Police department is looking to recruit new officers.

The department is down eleven officers and is exploring two different approaches to attract more officers.

One is letting officers come into the department and giving them a lateral move, letting them come in with whatever seniority they earned at their previous department.

Another option is adding a five thousand dollar bonus as an incentive.

"You know it’s a very tough job, its a tough thing to go out and work with the whole community and make sure your engaging everybody but that’s what we ask our officers to do and important that we give them the skills and the personnel and the backing of the community to make that happen," said Aaron Burnett, City Administrator of Mason City.

Another big change the department has made in its recruiting efforts is reaching out to individuals outside of northern Iowa. Reaching out to states that border to try and attract more officers.