As demonstrated in previous years, this office has again taken a proactive approach in maintaining positive working relationships with all ethnic groups within Salem County. Members of the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office continued to utilize the recruitment brochure that provides information about our employment opportunities and clarifies the qualifications that a resident must possess to be considered for selection. The brochure also continues to stress that the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It has been made available to the public online, at numerous career day presentations and at various community events.
In previous years prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, investigative personnel made presentations at various Salem County High Schools and Middle Schools on career opportunities. This exposed a greater cross section of county secondary education students to the job opportunities at the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office.
In order to include the potential candidates who are in college, we have continued dialogue with Salem Community College and Rowan University. As part of this expansion to reach a more diverse pool of applicants who are focusing their studies in the criminal justice field, we anticipate outreach occurring through the distribution of informational pamphlets, career fairs and classroom presentations.
We have made great strides towards marketing our agency to interested applicants of all ethnicities when employment opportunities arise. We continue to gain positive exposure through the many events that our agency sponsors and participates in. The percentage difference between the ethnic demographics of our service population compared to the ethnic demographics of our sworn personnel has remained a constant.
Many school districts in Salem County and most universities re-opened their campuses and held in-person classes in 2022. Our in-person scholastic recruiting efforts were limited in 2022 due to the resurgence of the coronavirus at various times throughout the year. Many school districts and universities are still hesitant to fully re-open their campuses to the public to pre-pandemic levels, which restricted some of our recruiting activities at those locations.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, some of our community outreach and community recruiting programs were limited during 2022. We look forward to resuming our normal recruitment and community outreach activities in 2023.
During 2022, we continued to be proactive in building community relations and attracting a diverse pool of applicants through our participation and involvement in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Diversity Summit, Puerto Rican Action Committee (PRAC), Reaching out in Plain English Program (ROPE), Mannington Township + Police Program (MannPower), DILEA Academy, Youth Services Commission, Black History Reading Program, Career, Wellness & Community Fairs, National Night Out, Municipal Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse (MAPSA) and our RESCUE Program to combat opiate addiction.
Members of our staff conducted recruiting activities during Crime Victims’ Rights Week (April 24, 2022 through April 30, 2022). During Crime Victims’ Rights Week, informational tables were staffed at the Cowtown Flea Market in Pilesgrove Township, Salem Community College in Carneys Point Township and Martin Luther King Park in Salem City. Members of our staff were available for questions and portrayed our agency in a positive manner to attract a diverse pool of applicants. Members of our staff also conducted a social media campaign during Crime Victims’ Rights Week and live streamed the closing ceremonies of Crime Victims’ Rights Week held at Martin Luther King Park in an effort to reach individuals who could not attend the proceedings in person.
Members of our staff participated in a community walk at Riverview Beach Park, in Pennsville Township, to commemorate a National Day of Remembrance for those lost to violent crime on September 25, 2022. The National Day of Remembrance was attended by members of the Salem County Chiefs of Police Association, local law enforcement agencies, the Delaware River & Bay Authority Police and members of the local community. Members of our staff, along with many other law enforcement agencies, set up informational tables to provide a favorable impression or their agencies to attract a diverse pool of applicants.
Members of our staff, in conjunction with Jonathan Cummings, Executive Director of Revive South Jersey, and local clergy members formed a Police Athletic League (PAL). The Police Athletic League will be housed at the Salem United Methodist Church, in Salem, NJ. The Police Athletic League will become active in 2023 and will serve as an excellent forum for recruiting activities.
Members of our staff participated in “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day” at the Salem County Vocational Technical School. The function was held outside for the safety of those in attendance. A recruitment booth was set up and staffed by members of our staff. Members of our staff handed out recruiting flyers to a diverse group of potential future candidates for employment. Members of our staff also interacted with the students and other organizations in attendance to promote our recruiting efforts.
In July 2022 a Hispanic Male applicant was hired as an investigator, which is a testament that our recruiting efforts continue to attract a diverse group of applicants so that our agency demographics reflect the community that we serve.
Our recruitment program encompasses a large culturally, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse geographical area. Our current agency demographics prove that our recruitment program is working to build a more diverse workforce.
The efforts of the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office to recruit the most diverse candidates continues to be of the highest importance so that the office can reflect the diverse communities which we serve.
GOALS and OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office Recruitment Plan is to attract qualified individuals to pursue a career with the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office. The objective is to achieve an overall racial and gender composition of the department in comparison to the service population of the County through the agency recruiting activities. The goals and objectives will be accomplished through various recruitment activities listed in the Recruitment Activities section of this plan.
GENERAL
The Salem County Prosecutor’s Office recruits from a candidate pool open to residents of Salem County.
Salem County is an equal opportunity employer in all facets of the personnel process.
CURRENT DEMOGRAPHICS
The demographics composition of the service area and agency are represented in the following table:
RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES
A. The best law enforcement recruiters are personnel currently serving in sworn positions. Therefore, every member is charged with actively recruiting individuals they feel are qualified with the potential to be an asset to the agency. The Chief of Detectives is responsible for the administration of the Recruitment Plan.
B. This agency will take a proactive role in programs intended to attract qualified people to apply for investigative positions within the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office. These programs include; but, are not limited to:
- Establishing and maintaining contacts with community organizations and educational institutions and providing recruitment materials for display and distribution;
- Participation in career day type programs at educational institutions and other public places and events;
- Citizen police academies, junior police academies, and law enforcement explorer posts; and
- Posting on going recruitment announcements on the County’s website.
C. Particular attention should be paid to attracting candidates in approximate proportion to the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of the available workforce in the County.
D. Personnel assigned to recruitment activities at career day and similar events and programs will be provided with information so that they are knowledgeable in those matters as they pertain to agency management and operation. Those topics include, but are not limited to:
- Career opportunities
- Salaries, benefits, and training
- Hiring guidelines
- Community information
- Cultural diversity
- Qualification and selection process
- Eligibility requirements
E. This recruiting materials will identify the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office as an equal opportunity employer and will include the following information:
- Basic description of duties
- Responsibilities
- Requisite skills
- Educational level
- Other minimum qualifications and requirements
REVIEW & EVALUATION
- The Chief of Detectives shall conduct an annual review of the Recruitment Plan.
- As a result of the annual review, if necessary, the Recruitment Plan shall be revised if the goals and objectives are not achieved.