'Losses are continuing': Asheville police pursue new recruitment strategies amid skeptics

As the Asheville Police Department continues to bleed staff and seeks help from an Arizona-based recruiting firm, some council members and area residents are skeptical of the proposed solutions.

“I’m concerned we are hoarding resources for policing when we knowingly can’t fill the vacancies, instead of taking the opportunity to diversify our public safety response," said council member Kim Roney.

She is one of the three council members who make up the Public Safety Committee, which heard a Jan. 25 virtual presentation from Asheville Police Chief David Zack and a representative from the newly-contracted Epic Recruiting.

Asheville City Council voted Dec. 14 to authorize the city to enter into the $225,000 contract. Roney was the only dissenting vote.

With a two-year contract, Epic will be onsite to begin work in March, said Zack.

Related: Asheville Police Department finalizing $225,000 contract with recruiting firm

The presentation from Epic outlined its Diversity Recruitment Plan, with targeted strategies to draw in a wide range of new recruits, with a special stress on gender and ethnic diversity.

Roney lingered on a slide midway through the presentation. In it, two grinning officers in military gear pose for a photo, assault rifles slung across their chest.

"What is the story of Asheville, and who do we ask to help with that narrative?" Roney said. "If this is the narrative, then we are in trouble."

Digital marketing director for Epic, Janae Toone, said Epic will use photos personalized for the department, and Asheville will get a different, targeted treatment than other agencies across the country.

Among Epic's main focuses is social media content and ads. Toone highlighted efforts to "counter-stereotype" imagery found on websites, social media and in advertising to "rectify misconceptions."

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"We all know that there is a narrative that surrounds law enforcement right now. And for each department it is not always based on the department's true heart, or their conduct, or their desire as an agency," Toone said.

"We are very intentional about the content that we put out because it helps to tell the story of the Asheville Police Department."

In January 2022, APD has already lost four officers to attrition. These departures followed spikes in 2020 and 2021, when the department saw attrition totals of 59 and 39, respectively.

According to Police Chief David Zack, the department is at its highest level of vacancies since May 2020, down about 44% of available officers on a daily basis.

The department saw its biggest staffing hit following the summer 2020 racial justice protests in the wake of George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis. Zack has said previously that community support, as well as compensation and cost of living, play into retaining and recruiting officers.

APD has lost 97 officers since May 2020. Budgeted for 238 sworn positions, the department has 179 filled, leaving 59 vacancies or 25%.

Related: Asheville police chief talks understaffing, homelessness, homicide investigations

Of these, 27 are in training and not available for solo patrol, bringing the vacancy number to 38%.

When taking in all other leave, such as military or medical, only 133 officers are available for duty daily, or 44% vacancy.

Annual attrition jumped from 20 officers in 2019 to 59 officers in 2020.

Patrol operations, criminal investigations and community engagement have the largest vacancies.

Though the department hired 25 officers in 2021, Zack said, it lost 39.

"Our rate of attrition is higher than our ability to find replacements," he said. "The losses are continuing. We're not seeing really much of an abatement ... it continues at a steady rate."

Both he and Toone stressed that this is an issue nationwide, and he hoped the partnership with Epic will work toward greater recruitment and a more diverse workforce.

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Toone said Epic employs a "multiprong approach," specifically by building trust with the community and telling its story.

Other strategies include:

• Celebrating holidays of underrepresented culture within social media posts.

• One to two social posts per month dedicated to highlighting women and people of color.

• Run multiple ad campaigns with contain copy/graphics that promote both gender and ethnic diversity.

• Utilize specially targeted audience features for inclusive and expansive reach of diverse individuals.

Following the meeting, a few community members voiced "concern and alarm" regarding some of the firm's strategy.

Among the concerns was one of Epic's three identified "best practices," namely, "start young."

Toone said the firm works to reach young people of different backgrounds, gender and ethnicities through advertising, social media and community programs, while they are "forming their identity and world view," allowing them to be more "open" to law enforcement.

"Nothing about what I do is about manipulation and mistrust,” Toone said, rather it’s about highlighting “positive truths” about Asheville law enforcement.

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While several callers were concerned or opposed to the recruitment, a handful of others voiced support for the APD and dismay at any critique.

Council member Sandra Kilgore said she has hope that these efforts could create a positive outcome, telling a positive story about the city and employing more diverse practices, allowing for a department that "reflects the community that we live in."

According to a city database last updated Jan. 24, of the police department's about 211 employees listed, about 92% are white and 6% are Black people.

Vice Mayor Sheneika Smith was interested in seeing recruitment "start with the end in mind," and recruit for specific areas, like those with the skillset and interest in providing support for people in public housing or other underserved areas of the city.

Toone said it was possible to gear recruitment for these areas.

According to Zack, the ultimate goal is recruiting "hometown talent," and reaching communities that haven't traditionally been reached.

Once the department has recruits, he said, it can talk about the way they are deployed.

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville police bring in recruiting firm as staff decreases continue