About a year ago, a news article caught the eye of Juneau Police Department Deputy Chief David Campbell.<\/p>\n
Campbell read a story about the Anchorage Police Department partnering with the U.S. Army in a program called Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS). The partnership helps connect Army personnel with employers after they leave the service.<\/p>\n
JPD Chief Ed Mercer walked into Campbell’s office shortly after that. He had apparently also seen the news too.<\/p>\n
“Why aren’t we doing this?” Mercer asked.<\/p>\n
Soon afterward, an opportunity presented itself. Alaska Recruiting Company Commander Capt. Dana Schwartz, reached out to JPD and a conversation began. That back-and-forth culminated in a ceremony at Juneau’s police station on Wednesday<\/a> where Mercer and Capital City Fire\/Rescue Chief Rich Etheridge both signed the partnership with the U.S. Army’s PaYS Program.<\/p>\n Lt. Commander Mark A. Davis, the battalion commander for the Seattle Recruiting Battalion, was there on behalf of the Army along with Schwartz. Davis said the Army has about 700 other PaYS partners throughout the country, and recruiters try to pick the partnerships carefully so they know they’re helping people find a rewarding job after their service.<\/p>\n “We’re trying to link them up with valuable jobs for a lifetime and a valuable career,” Davis said. “To me, it’s a really important thing we’re doing today.”<\/p>\n The program is mutually beneficial to the Army and to partners, as Davis, Etheridge and Mercer said during Wednesday’s ceremony. It aids Army personnel by helping them find jobs after leaving the service, as PaYS partners guarantee service members an interview and a good chance at employment after they’re honorably discharged.<\/p>\n Etheridge said he’s seen friends leave the military and struggle to find work in Juneau.<\/p>\n “(It’s) a huge shame,” Etheridge said. “These folks are getting leadership experience, they’re talented and they’ve got a lot to offer the community.”<\/p>\n For CCFR and JPD, this expands their talent pool as they seek to fill their ranks with quality, long-term employees. Schwartz said CCFR and JPD will show up on veterans’ job search sites as “veteran-friendly” employers.<\/p>\n Both departments are currently working to fill their ranks. CCFR has hired six new employees in the past two and a half months, but still has three vacancies, Etheridge said. JPD Lt. Krag Campbell said the department is short by nine officers but one officer should be on the way later this month.<\/p>\n