Fairness. Vigilance. Professionalism. Dedication. For the Fuquay-Varina police department, these terms are more than just words on the back of a business card or a pamphlet, they are a commitment and a pledge to the citizens of Fuquay-Varina. A commitment to providing the highest level of service to all they serve. To fulfill this commitment, the Fuquay-Varina police department knows they will accept no less than the best of the best as part of their team, and they are currently expanding that team.
As with much of Wake County, Fuquay-Varina has seen an exponential population growth over the last several years. Between 2010 and 2017, the population has gone from 18,200 to almost 28,000. This growth means increased revenue for the town and more opportunities for advancement, but it also means an increased need for law enforcement services. Just ask Chief of Police Laura Fahnestock. Chief Fahnestock has been in her position with the Fuquay-Varina police department since 2015, and during that time, she has witnessed this growth and demand first-hand. In fact, Chief Fahnestock said that just last year there were well over 44,000 calls for service and police-related activities. “Given that demand, naturally that means that we need more law enforcement officers to perform the various functions that we have within our community,” she said. When Chief Fahnestock took office in 2015 there were 36 officers on the force and currently that number is at 47 and growing. This also includes 8 authorized civilian positions inluding telecommunications and records and crime analysts as well as a new K-9 unit that was added in 2017.
Not only has the department added positions and units, within the last year it has also implemented a new career development path for its officers. In addition to adding the position of Master Police Officer, Chief Fahnestock explained that the roles and responsibilities of several of its standing positions have also changed. “Before, our career development path did not include the position of Master Police Officer, and our sergeants were not supervisory positions. Now, they are competitive supervisory positions for first line positions.” By expanding the career development path, officers can increase not only their educational and training opportunities, but also personal development within patrol and other divisions. This not only allows them to gain experiences and opportunities, but can potentially increase their salary as well. In addition, this experience helps prepare the officers for future supervisory positions.
Captain Bob Adams, who is charge of recruitment for the department, explained the career and enhancement ladder that is in place within the department. “Our career ladder gives three steps for promotional processes for each division, including our telecommunicators, our administrators and our sworn officers. There is a 5% increase each step that they get, and when they reach a competitive promotional process that goes up to a 10% for our officers,” he said. This process is not only beneficial for the officers with training and experience, but it also allows for promotion from within the department, rather than having to look outside to fill positions.
A commitment to continued learning
These promotions and advancements in career development aren’t just thrown at the officers without preparing them ahead of time. The state mandates that officers get a minimum of 24 hours per year of training to maintain certification. The Fuquay-Varina police department’s officers get 36 hours per year of in-service training which does not include the training they receive quarterly. “We allow them to obtain at least 160 hours per year, quarterly, and they need those hours to get the career ladder promotions,” Captain Adams said. This training includes areas such as career enhancement, community policing, traffic, fair and impartial policing, investigations and crisis intervention, just to name a few. In addition to the traditional, tactical police training, Fuquay-Varina officers are also offered several opportunities to get “out of the box” training in areas like public speaking.
Chief Fahnestock and Captain Adams are insistent that the officers that are within the department currently, and any that may join in the future, have every opportunity available to them to succeed not only as an individual, but also as a public servant to the community. Some of the programs that are available to their officers include the Law Enforcement Executive Program, or LEEP, through NC State University as well as the Administrative Officers Management Program also through NC State, The West Point Leadership Program, the UNC-Chapel Hill Fellows Program and the Management Development Program or MDP. The goal for these programs is to offer the most progressive training for the future to make sure all employees are prepared for trends throughout the community. “We are always thinking about what are the best services that we can provide to our community because we are a public service entity and want to meet the demands of our community,” said Chief Fahnestock.
None of these opportunities would be possible without support, and the Fuquay-Varina police department has it. Chief Fahnestock said that “we are blessed to have the support of our management team here in Fuquay-Varina as well as our town board.” The management team and board of the town have continually increased salaries when given the budget for the police department, and encourages and pays for college tuition for its officers. Captain Adams said, “We currently have 73% of our agency has a college degree, as opposed to when I started, 25 years ago, there were two people in the department that had a degree.” Lieutenants are expected to have a minimum of an associate’s degree, and captains must have a bachelor’s degree. “The town has helped us pay for the education of our officers, and many of them have taken advantage of that,” Captain Adams said.
Why Fuquay-Varina?
One of the things you will notice if you sit down and talk with either Chief Fahnestock or Captain Adams is the continued use of the word “we.” When referencing the department or its officers, each of them uses the pronoun “we” to describe and explain the details. So, what does that mean? It means that this department, above all else, is inclusive and considers itself a family. When it comes to police work, the officers must be able to trust those around them. Unlike other work environments where trust could mean saving a seat at lunch or not parking in your favorite parking spot, with police officers trust can be a matter of life and death. You must be able to trust that your chief and captains are doing everything they can to empower their officers with the most up-to-date facilities, equipment and training possible to help them perform their duties.
The Fuquay-Varina police department, and specifically Chief Fahnestock, take this responsibility very seriously. This is evident in the fact that their officers are equipped with technology to help them do their jobs the safest way they know how, such as the use of body-cams. Each officer in the department has his or her own body camera. Each patrol car is equipped with a dash-cam, and the police department office has special monitoring devices to ensure not only the safety of its officers, but also to ensure that the community is receiving the best service possible.
It’s no secret that Wake County is growing at every corner. Fuquay-Varina is no different. The family atmosphere of not only the police department, but the town itself is an incentive for many officers looking for a place to call home. The opportunity for growth in Fuquay-Varina, along with its proximity to nationally-recognized universities, hospitals and the Research Triangle Park, makes this area ideal for those looking for a quality of life that is like no other place in the country.
But don’t be mistaken, the Fuquay-Varina police department isn’t all work and no play. In addition to their everyday responsibilities, the officers love to have a good time, especially when that includes interacting with the community. Some of the regular activities they participate in include, Coffee With A Cop, Unity in the Community, Cops in the Park, Teen Day and National Day Out. It also isn’t uncommon to see Fuquay-Varina officers at local assisted-living facilities or daycares engaging in a discussion about days past, or involved in a heated game of Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders.
The hard work of the Fuquay-Varina police department does not go unnoticed by the community. “There is something brought here almost daily,” Captain Adams said. Whether it is cookies from a child or meals provided by a local church, the community appreciates the hard work of its officers and are just as committed to looking out for them as the officers are committed to looking out for the community.
Requirements and Benefits
To become a police officer with the Fuquay-Varina police department, there are several steps a candidate has to go through. A complete list of requirements for candidates can be found on the department’s webpage (https://www.fuquay-varina.org/268/Recruitment). Some of these requirements include:
Completion of BLET-Basic Law Enforcement Training
Candidates must be at least 20 years old
Candidates must have a high school degree or GED enforcement training
Must have citizenship or U.S. work authorization
No felony criminal record
Good moral character (as determined by extensive background investigation)
Just a few of the benefits of becoming a Fuquay-Varina police officer include:
Competitive starting salary of $42,641 with the opportunity for increases with continued education and training
Health, vision and dental insurance for employees, at no cost (there is an option to add family members to the plans-with a cost to the employee)
Take-home car when available (must live within 10 miles of the department)
Opportunity for paid college expenses
If you want to take a look at the Fuquay-Varina officers at work, check out their latest recruitment video at https://www.fuquay-varina.org/898/Police-Recruiting-Video or on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/fvpolice/), and while you are there take a look at their lip sync challenge video. They certainly are a team of many hidden talents. If you or someone you know is interested in joining Fuquay-Varina’s finest, contact Captain Bob Adams (radams@fuquay-varina.org).
Police work is not for the faint of heart. It is, at its core, a service job that requires its servants to put their lives on the line daily. There is no other job like it in the world. It does not promise riches or fame, but what it does promise is an opportunity like no other to protect those you love, those you have never met, and all those in-between. What a privilege it is to have people to protect your community with such passion and compassion. To those that are already serving, we thank you. To those that are yet to come, we wish you luck and hope for your continued success.
For more information about requirements, application or questions, contact Captain Bob Adams (radams@fuquay-varina.org) or go to the police department’s website (https://www.fuquay-varina.org/232/Police-Department).
