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TAMPA — The Tampa Police Department is beefing up its ranks for the Republican National Convention.
The agency is allotted 974 sworn officer positions and usually has about 10 to 20 vacancies. But by the time politicians and protesters descend in August, the agency could have as many as 10 more officers.
It'll cost the city about $600,000 and will come from the police department's personnel budget.
The agency's reasoning: Tampa police would be hiring through the fall to replace officers normally lost through retirement and attrition. Instead, the department will preemptively hire for those spots and will be temporarily over-staffed when it needs it most. The department expects to recoup the costs when senior officers leave.
"This was an easy, affordable way to add a handful of Tampa police officers to our force during a short window of time when we'll need the extra help," police Chief Jane Castor said.
The agency swore in 14 new officers this week, and it could possibly have two more classes of officers join before the convention.
The new officers won't have as much RNC-specific training as those who have been with the agency longer, said police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.
The new recruits will probably remain in district offices covering normal patrol shifts, each paired with a field training officer.
Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at jvandervelde@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3433.
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