Iowa State Patrol recruitment push

(ABC 6 News) – The Iowa State Patrol is pushing a recruitment process to help fill a staffing storage it’s predicting over the next ten years.

The Iowa State Patrol currently staffs over 360 troopers and predicts it will lose about 50% to retirement in the next decade.

Currently, the state patrol is focusing on a social media recruitment campaign, as well as going into schools starting at sixth grade through college to attract future patrol officers.

"So over the next four years were looking to hire and train 250 to 350 graduates to keep up with attrition or that future attrition cycle," said Tom Williams with Iowa State Patrol, Public Resource Officer for District 8 in Mason City.

Over the last twenty years, the state patrol said it has seen applicants plummet with the next academy only having 39 people enrolled which is down from 3,000, which is a 74% decline.

The Iowa State Patrol offering is also enticing applicants with an increase in pay as well as trying to keep applicants patrolling close to home.

"You have to have that heart for service if you have that heart for service it’s a great job the pay is good the benefits are good and its and exciting career and it’s a fulfilling career," Williams said.

A college degree is not required to apply and the application process for the next class is open until February 27th.