By Gwyneth Gibby
Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Thursday, August 23, 2007 12:00 am
Department should be fully staffed by December
Four new recruits stood in front of Corvallis Police Chief Gary Boldizar on Wednesday and swore to serve the community, safeguard lives and property and protect the innocent against deception.
"We're glad they're here," Boldizar said. "We're confident they'll do well."
The room was full of friends and family of the recruits as well as police officers. Boldizar introduced the four and emphasized their experience and qualifications for the job.
John Davis comes from a
22-year career in the U.S. Air Force. He served in operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Enduring Freedom. He comes from a family of law enforcement officers, with both his father and uncle serving in the Philadelphia police department.
"I'd like to thank my wife," Davis told the audience. "She's going to have to put up with me through training."
Jihesheia Hull is a Corvallis native. She joined the U.S. Navy in 1999 and served as an officer in charge of shipboard firefighting and damage control.
Her father, Jerry Hull, said he couldn't be prouder.
"From the time she was in the first grade, she wanted to be a police officer," he said.
Michael Pyburn had to move across much of the country to take the job. Pyburn has a degree in law enforcement from the University of Illinois in Champaign. From there he joined the National Guard and was trained as a sniper. He was deployed for a year-long tour of duty in Iraq in 2004.
His wife, Lauren Tobey, is glad they made the move.
"It's great he's closer to home," she said. "I'm glad he's back to being a police officer."
Kirsten Zulyevic is from Junction City. She started her law enforcement career as a volunteer for the police department in her hometown, where the chief of police urged her to become a regular officer. She also teaches mixed martial arts. Her husband, Oneness Fish, said his wife's training in martial arts alleviates any anxiety he might have about the dangers of her job.
"Everybody else is at a disadvantage," he said.
When one more recruit comes on board at the end of December, the department will be fully staffed with a roster of 56 sworn officers. Boldizar said it had been difficult to fill the positions. The Corvallis Police Department has high standards and the competition has been stiff from other larger departments with deeper pockets.
"The Seattles, San Franciscos, Phoenixes - they have the budgets, they offer hiring bonuses," Boldizar said.
Corvallis is still one of the highest-paying agencies in the state, he said, offering newly hired officers $3,780 a month plus benefits. He thinks one reason there are fewer men and women eager to get into the field is the job is not as popular as it once was.
"There have been events nationally, like the Rodney King incident, that highlight bad behavior and bring bad press," he said.
None of that attitude was apparent during the swearing-in ceremony Wednesday, as the recruits promised to protect "the weak against oppression or intimidation and the peaceful against violence or disorder."