Md. State Police Classes Down By Half, Recruitment Is Priority

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland State Police are on the hunt tonight. Not for suspects, but for new troopers.

Recruiting tools range from the internet to movie theaters.

The campaign has a dash of Hollywood, and it's a five-year, $100,000 effort.

"What we're trying to do is communicate a message of exciting careers with a purpose," says Major Dalaine Brady.

"So we are on Facebook, we are on YouTube, we have been in movie theaters."

The immediate goal is to hire 99 new troopers to cover current openings, jobs that have drawn a lot of applications in the past.

"We used to be about 8,000 a class. We're down to about 4,000, so we have seen a difference," Brady says.

While 4,000 is still a lot, there are seven phases to get through, and that eliminates most applicants.

"Our class that's currently in is 38 and we're hoping to have another class in July," according to Brady. "We would love that class to be 80."

It's a recruiting effort that never stops. The chase for new troopers is endless.

"You have troopers who resign or retire on a consistent basis, and we're constantly filling those."

Information on trooper recruitment can be found at MDSP.Maryland.gov.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook