NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Police Department said it had about 230 unfilled positions at the end of July. One of the ways the department is trying to fill those spots is from a recently purchased ad on the New York City Subway.
On June 10, the verified account of a contributor to The Washington Post posted a photo which appeared to be a recruitment advertisement for NPD on what he said was an NYC Subway car.
A Norfolk Police spokesperson confirmed the ad ran between May 24 to July 3, and cost approximately $50,000. He noted the department has recruited in the NYC area for years, but the "dynamic has changed" from in-person recruiting to posting direct advertisements in high-visibility places, as well as utilizing Facebook advertising.
Applications do come out of New York, and because of the success seen there, a department spokesperson said it is looking into advertising in other cities.
The spokesman added the Subway ad is the only physical advertisement to run in the city, and at this time, the campaign's success "is yet to be determined."
The advertisement's success, per NPD officials, will be evaluated when the hiring process for the next recruiting class is complete, which should take place in October.
