Fairfax County police are launching a recruitment push aimed at federal workers who have lost their jobs.
The Northern Virginia agency is offering a $15,000 hiring bonus for new police officers, but Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a newsletter that there are several other staff openings too.
The initiative comes as President Donald Trump’s administration makes changes to the federal workforce, including cuts at numerous agencies. Fairfax County has 80,000 federal employees and thousands more contractors, according to its website.
“We do have positions that we need to fill and we’re looking for professionals that are seeking a stable and rewarding career,” Maj. Shawn Adcock said. “We know that federal employees are our target for us to tap into. They bring a lot of skills to law enforcement.”
Many of the skills needed to have success in the federal workforce are likely transferable to jobs in law enforcement, Adcock said.
“They’ve already demonstrated leadership, probably under pressure, given the certain positions that they have,” Adcock said. “They’ve worked collaboratively with other agencies, so we know that they bring a wealth of knowledge.”
Jobs with the law enforcement agency, Adcock said, “are competitive with federal jobs, and we think that they bring great tools to the police department.”
He’s expecting convenience to be a factor, too.
“We know that federal employees are part of a Fairfax County community,” Adcock said. “Most of them live there. Some of them are our neighbors. Some of them are community advocates, and we know that they would bring tremendous value.”
Adcock said the difference in pay when switching careers varies, as there are different pay rates for new applicants based on education and experience.
There’s not a set number of federal workers the department wants to hire, Adcock said, adding there are still vacancies it’s looking to fill.
Meanwhile, Fairfax County is facing a nearly $300 million budget shortfall next year, but McKay said the police department has “been able to absorb some of the hiring incentive costs within its existing budget.”
But, McKay said in a statement, “Department of Management and Budget staff work closely with FCPD to assess whether additional allocations from the County’s hiring incentive reserve are necessary. This initiative benefits both the community and impacted workers by strengthening our public safety workforce while offering a stable, meaningful career path to those affected by federal changes.”
There’s not a scheduled end date for the $15,000 hiring bonus for new officers, Adcock said.
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