Cleveland Police Recruits Hired, Fired in Same Day
Recruits who graduated from the Cleveland Police Academy on Friday quickly found themselves unemployed, according to The Plain Dealer.
The 42 new officers were laid off following the ceremony and were set to be cut from their $10.50-an-hour cadet positions at the end of last month, but the city kept them on until their took their oaths.
Appointment to active duty preserves the new officers' certification for four years and gives the city more time to recall them.
It could take about a year and a half for the officers to be recalled if the city fills the jobs only when officers retire or resign, police union president Steve Loomis told the newspaper.
Patrolman James Swope spoke for the class during the graduation and wouldn't talk to the newspaper about the layoffs but said that he was eager to be called back to duty.
"I'm very happy," he said. "It's been a goal of mine my entire life."