Trenton is recruiting it's third class of recruits since 2014 and they're looking for a deeper pool of candidates.
TRENTON -- Police work is a calling for some and they don't need any recruiting.
Trenton Police Director Ernest Parrey Jr. was one of them. He knew he wanted to be a police officer as a young kid.
Parrey's now recruiting a third class of recruits since he became director in 2014, and he's looking for a deeper pool of candidates.
He and his commanders are looking for city residents who may be on the fence about working in policing, "Or folks that just don't know anything about it," the director said.
Parrey said the second academy class was not as full as he would like. So he's making a push for city residents who have grown up here.
"What better candidates than to have people born and raised here. They know the people, the area," Parrey said.
And the director said while it's not a new trend for a city to want to have a police force representative of the community, it's still am emphasis for the department.
To that end, the department is hosting a recruitment open house at the Pentecostal Church Assembly of God on North Clinton Avenue this Saturday, and the department has also placed ads on seven billboards in and around the city.
This Saturday, Parrey and other officers will answer questions and sell the position of police officer, from how to apply to what it's like in the police academy.
And with an anti-police current running through the country in some areas, and police protests carried live on cable news, Parrey knows it's a tough sell.
To a potential candidate, Parrey said his message is: "Work within your community, serve your community. You get to actually have an affect on Trenton and make it a safer place."
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Trenton police spokesman, Lt. Stephen Varn, said the department would like to see a Dallas police effect in Trenton, referencing Dallas Police Chief David Brown.
During Black Lives Matter demonstrations there, Brown famously said at a news conference: "We're hiring. Get off that protest line and put an application in. We'll put you in your neighborhood and help you resolve some of those problems."
After the challenge, police applications tripled in Dallas.
Parrey said that anyone can complain about Trenton and post things on Facebook, and he issued a similar challenge.
"Be a part of the difference," he said.
As for Trenton, Parrey said he also cognizant that the department's just five years removed from the layoffs of 105 police officers under the Tony Mack administration.
But Mayor Eric Jackson has said numerous times that public safety is a priority.
And Parrey said police work can be dangerous at times and it's round the clock, but the pay is still good and the benefits are good.
Rookie cops make $35,998 in the academy, $43,041 when they hit the streets and $50,867 in year two.
"Be a part of your police department," Parrey said. "We all have to get through this together."
The recruitment event Saturday is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church, 50 North Clinton Ave.
Attendees must meet the basic requirements of being a police officer: a city resident who is a United States citizen or naturalized citizen between the ages of 18 and 35 years old with a high school diploma or GED.
Police applications are submitted through the state's Civil Service Commission at www.state.nj.us/csc.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.