Pueblo passes ordinance to make application process faster to become a police officer

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham is spearheading an effort to shorten the length of time it takes to process applications for the city's police department.

The effort is being made in hopes that it will help relieve the ongoing officer shortage.

Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller describes his current staffing challenges as a "manpower crisis," but he and the mayor are hopeful that making the application process faster and easier will make a difference.

"We get complaints all the time about we're not doing this, we're not doing that. And part of my job is to try to address those complaints, which puts additional pressure on our personnel," Noeller said.

There are currently more than 50 open positions in the Pueblo Police Department.

Pueblo City Council unanimously passed an ordinance on Monday that aims to make the application process faster, especially for officers who are transferring from other departments. The new ordinance will also allow the department to significantly widen its pool of potential candidates.

Prior to these changes, it took over a year for new hires to hit the streets. Noeller said the new ordinance will allow him to cut that time in half.

"I can be hiring those laterals almost continuously throughout the year so we can bring them on as they come in and get them on and onboard people a lot quicker," Noeller said.