Hiring new police officers never has been easy. In the middle of a pandemic, after a summer of racial justice protests, some police chiefs in Berkshire County say that process only has gotten harder.
In North Adams, Police Chief Jason Wood nearly canceled a recent entrance exam over a lack of applicants. Just 10 people signed up to take the exam, Wood said, compared with more than 40 interested applicants the previous time the department offered the test.
What gives?
Wood thinks part of the hesitation might be the coronavirus itself, given that the exam was in person. Also, the department did not advertise the test on college campuses this year, because of COVID-19 safety restrictions.