ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department is looking for some more people to join the force. They hope to hire over 100 new officers by the end of the year, following the footsteps of current officers like Matt Mason.

“I wanted to be a police officer because I like to help people and I like that every single day is different,” he said. “I got tired of the Monday to Friday desk job. I like to be out on the streets. You just never know what you are going to get each day.”

But this wasn’t always home to him. He started in law enforcement nearly seven years ago in Atlanta and back in 2022, decided he wanted a change. 

“I could have been complacent and stayed over where I was previously, but I chose to step out of my comfort zone because I knew long term it would benefit myself and my family,” said Mason. “Orlando was a better city and Florida is a better state to raise a family in than where I was on Georgia.”

After doing some research, Mason decided that the Orlando Police department is where he wanted to spend his career, drawn by the opportunities for advancement and benefits. 

That is exactly what recruiting Sergeant Merius Gedeon loves to hear as he works to draw more recruits to the department. He checks in with Officer Mason, who, after going through the process for new recruits at OPD, has become a field training officer himself.

The sergeant knows firsthand what it’s like, having started his OPD career following a career fair. 

“I saw the pay, saw the uniforms, saw that everything the department has to offer in terms of lateral movement and advancement opportunities, and these were all things that the boxes were checked for me,” said Gedeon.

Now they are hitting the streets, hoping to get more people to follow in their footsteps. Back in October, Orlando’s city council approved adding 100 additional officers to the department to keep up with the city’s growth and the 75 million visitors that come through every year.

“We have seen a tremendous growth in the population, adding these bodies to our overall strength is going to make this city safer,” said Gedeon.

Now, they have 125 total positions to fill.

“We have a lot of hiring events and initiatives that we currently have in the pipeline that is generating some really good numbers for us and we are looking to close out the vacancies by the end of the year because of it,” said Gedeon.

Sergeant Gedeon explained that they are looking for recruits at college campuses, military installations and even out of state, explaining the benefits OPD is offering.

“New recruits, they get an $8,000 incentive, that is also accurate for out-of-state police officers as well,” said Gedeon.

He hopes people interested in law enforcement will see that OPD is a great place to grow your career, your family and a secure future.

“This department will fulfill all of those dreams,” said Gedeon.

Starting salaries for recruits is right around $55,000.

Information about how to fill out an application or about upcoming recruiting events can be found on OPD’s website.