Prince George's police launch one-day hiring event to fill staffing shortages

Prince George’s County police will try to hire officers in a single day at headquarters in Upper Marlboro, a fast-track push Chief George Nader says is meant to shrink a process that usually takes about two months while the department remains hundreds of sworn officers short.

The one-day event is scheduled for April 18 at Prince George’s County Police Headquarters, 8801 Police Plaza. Applicants will move through a written exam, a physical agility and fitness test, a preliminary background screening and an oral interview. Those who pass can leave with a conditional offer of employment, and successful candidates could begin training in June or July.

Nader has described the old system as “antiquated,” but the department says the new approach will not lower hiring standards. Applicants still must be at least 20 years and three months old, have a valid driver’s license, be a U.S. citizen and hold a high school diploma or GED. Walk-ins are expected to be limited, and preregistration is being encouraged.

The urgency is hard to miss. 7News reported the department is authorized for 1,728 sworn officers but has fewer than 1,400. A 2025 report citing county budget documents said there were 331 empty police officer positions and a 19% sworn vacancy rate. That same report said county leaders budgeted $28 million for overtime compensation in the proposed FY2026 budget after projected overtime spending reached $29.3 million by the end of FY2025.

County officials have also leaned on incentives to rebuild the ranks. The 2025 budget reporting said PGPD offered a one-time $10,000 bonus for new hires and a $15,000 bonus for experienced officers coming from other agencies. Nader has said the department’s goal is to add 150 officers a year for the next three years and to get back to more than 1,700 sworn officers, after it recently had its largest class in 10 years with 55 recruits.

The staffing crunch has already affected service on the street. At a 2023 public safety town hall, Deputy Chief James McCreary said a fully staffed department would have about 1,800 officers and acknowledged that shortages limit tactics such as foot patrols. For a department that says it serves nearly 900,000 residents and is the fourth-largest law enforcement agency in Maryland, every vacancy stretches overtime, narrows coverage and leaves fewer officers available when calls stack up. Officer Yasilys Zapata Silverio, who has been with PGPD for two years, said she passed the fitness test and encouraged applicants not to give up.