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Akron Police Department offering $2,000 signing bonus to attract new hires amid low applicant numbers

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AKRON, Ohio — The city of Akron is accepting applications for police officers and is offering a $2,000 signing bonus to attract new hires.

Akron Police Department Public Information Officer Michael Miller believes they are facing a lower number of applicants due to the police shooting of Jayland Walker last summer.

RELATED: See continuing coverage on the Jayland Walker case here

"It's hard to measure the total impact of that incident," Miller said. "And on our recruitment efforts last night, we did have approximately a half dozen people who were previously signed up to take our entrance exam, call in and say, hey, with everything going on, they've decided or declined to pursue it at this time. So it had some impact."

If you're interested in becoming an Akron police officer, you need to apply by March 9. You also need to have a high school diploma or GED and a valid driver's license. The next exams are set for March 18 and 23.

Click here for details on applying.

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