Officer Robert Kirkwood, left, talks with Sgt. Jamie Johnson in an office at the police services center in Dalton, Ga. The Dalton Police Department is hiring new officers to fill open positions on the force.The police department’s patrol division budget:2010 — $4,103,2952011 — $4,059,1502012 — $4,025,665DALTON POLICE DEPARTMENT2010 Non-Sworn (Civilian) — 15Sworn officers — 862011 Non-Sworn (Civilian) — 14Sworn officers — 832012Non-Sworn (Civilian) — 13Sworn officers — 84
Dalton, Ga., police are looking for three patrol officers to fill vacancies resulting from retirement and turnover.
In 2009 and 2010, police Chief Jason Parker said, the turnover rates slowed and so did the urgency to replace those positions.
But the department was fortunate officials didn’t have to freeze hiring during an economic downturn, police spokesman Bruce Frazier said.
Police numbers show enforcement shrank only by about five employees, including civilian positions and sworn officers, since 2010. The officer decrease was from three retirements in 2011, Frazier said.