RICHLAND, Wash. - If you've ever thought about being a police officer, now could be the time to make that a reality.

The Richland Police Department is hiring six officers, which could be new hires or transfers from another police station. Despite the negative portrayal of police in many media outlets, Sergeant Shawn Swanson with the Richland Police Department says the Tri-Cities community has shown great support for their officers.

"I was a lateral from the west side of the state and moving over to Tri-Cities here has been absolutely fantastic. We have great community support, and that is something that we recognize and we cherish as a police department. We will continue to work hard for our community. Our community has shown time and time again that they appreciate us. We have a very good relationship and we want to keep it that way."

Sergeant Swanson says that the only requirement is a high school diploma and a passion for helping the community.

"What we want to do is serve our community, that's the whole reason why we became officers to begin with. The men and women that we hire are of high moral character, so we try not to let that stuff we hear on the news bother us. We know what's right, we do it every single day, and that's what drives us."

If you're interested, you can learn more by clicking here or by attending at recruiting fair at the 3 Rivers Convention Center on May 8, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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