The Dallas Police Department is being inundated with job applicants after the police chief told protesters earlier this week that the agency was hiring.
"Don't be a part of the problem. We're hiring. We're hiring. Get off that protest line and put an application in," Dallas Police Chief David Brown said at a news conference on Monday.
Brown's remarks came days after the deaths of Alton Sterling of Louisiana, Philando Castile of Minnesota and five Dallas police officers who were working during a protest on July 7.
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Hours after Brown's news conference ended, a post on the Dallas Police Department recruiting Facebook page thanked people for their interest in applying.
WFAA reported that the department's recruiting team "has received a flood of calls," and potential applicants have sent the team messages and arrived in person to learn more.
The influx of interest is a good thing for a department that has struggled to recruit in recent years. The Dallas Morning News said it could be because nearby cities offer much more attractive salaries for their officers.
Officer recruitment isn't an issue only in Dallas. Cities across the nation have struggled to bring on new staff amid ever-tightening budgets and increasing tensions.
But in the wake of the targeted violence in Dallas, the department chief's leadership has been lauded nationally and his officers have been hailed as heroes.
"When the bullets started flying, the men and women of the Dallas police, they did not flinch, and they did not react recklessly. They showed incredible restraint," President Obama said.
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