Bridgeport, CT – Today, Chief Porter detailed Bridgeport Police Department’s latest initiative of accepting lateral transfers for officers to increase the manpower within the department. Lateral transfers are now being offered within the department which allows police officers from other cities, towns, and states to apply to join the Bridgeport Police Department. This comes after the Bridgeport City Council made an amendment to accept lateral transfers from other municipalities without having to start from the beginning stages of the typical hiring process for Bridgeport Police officers. 

Chief Porter stated, “The Bridgeport Police Department has much to offer to anyone who is interested in applying to become a police officer. We plan on streamlining the process for lateral transfers to get new officers started at a faster rate, with the hopes that we can reach our goal of having 100 new officers. We’re very excited about opening our department to lateral transfers and I want to thank our City Council as well as the Civil Service Commission for allowing this to happen.”

The Bridgeport Police Department has been advertising the opening of lateral transfer positions by detailing salary ranges and comprehensive benefits being offered when joining the department. Officers from other municipalities who are interested in applying are encouraged to visit Police App to begin the application process. The application is also open to officers who have formerly worked for the department and wish to transfer back to Bridgeport. The application currently has no cutoff date, which allows for officers from other municipalities to apply whenever they see fit.

“I’m very pleased to see Chief Porter and the rest of the police department taking all the necessary steps to increase their number of police officers,” stated Mayor Ganim. “I’m hopeful that with the heavy social media presence and consistent community-building that the police department has been doing, there will be a time very soon where the Bridgeport Police Department is fully staffed.”