Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 26, 1991 TAG: 9102260472
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: MELANIE S. HATTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The department has five vacancies, senior police officer L.C. Ollie said.
The Roanoke Police Department has increased efforts to raise the number of blacks on the force since it has been criticized for having one of the lowest percentages of black officers in the state.
"It's a job nobody wants" despite the excitement and challenge it can offer, said the 18-year police veteran.
People are afraid they will lose their friends if they join the police force, he said.
But losing friends was not on some students' minds.
"I don't want to carry a gun or be shot," said student Courtney Penn, 21.
A psychology major at Washington and Lee University, Penn said he wanted to work with children. "Juvenile probation maybe," he said, but there were no openings for that.
It's easier to hire people from out of town, Ollie said. "Our department would rather hire locally, but they're not always available."
Applying to the Police Department is not a simple procedure. Applicants must pass a written test, two physical examinations, background and psychological checks and two interviews - which can take up to seven months, Ollie said. "But it can be done in less time," he added.
The whole process tests staying power and patience: two important attributes to becoming a police officer, he said. Starting salary is $20,408.
"It's something to think about," Lisa Claxton of Shawsville said after leaving the booth.
"I have a lot of office experience and I feel comfortable in that setting, but I don't know if I'd want to be on the streets," she said. Like Penn, she didn't want to carry a gun.
Claxton, 25, is a 1990 fashion merchandising graduate from Virginia Tech and was recently laid off from Thalhimers at Valley View Mall.
Given a choice, she would rather work in the Roanoke Valley but wouldn't hesitate moving away to find a job with opportunities for advancement, she said.
Roanoke is not willing to accept that blacks are just as qualified as whites, she said. When inquiring about an office job recently, she was told to check into a cleaning position.
"Things like this [job fair] open up opportunities for us," she said.
Hollins College student Vanessa Sobers, 22, was surprised to see so many black professionals in the Roanoke area. Almost every company had at least one black representative, she said.
"It . . . provides incentive to follow in their footsteps," she said.
Sobers suggested the fair be opened to colleges across the state to heighten competition and "force us to be well versed and prepared."
by CNB