The City of Decatur Police Department strives to recruit and hire the very best candidates to serve as police officers in our community. We are not simply looking for a person who can pass the academy with the basic skills to enforce the law, fight, drive, and shoot. Although these skills are essential for policing, the Department places significant emphasis on thoroughly vetting applicants to ensure we are hiring the right individuals who are socially engaged, emotionally healthy, empathetic, and approachable, and who are motivated to serve the community for the right reasons. We are seeking “Community Relations Officers Who Enforce the Law”, officers who are invested in the community they are serving. The officers must embody our Core Values of Approachability, Integrity, Adaptability, Collaboration, and Empathy.
We also seek to recruit and hire officers from diverse demographics and backgrounds to represent the community we serve.
Decatur Police Department Officer Demographics
| Decatur Police 2025* | ||
| Gender | Male: 73% | Female: 27% |
| Race | White: 29% | POC: 71% |
| Leadership Positions** | White: 44% | POC: 56% |
| Decatur Police 2020 | ||
| Gender | Male: 75% | Female: 25% |
| Race | White: 54% | POC: 46% |
| Leadership Positions | White: 58% | POC: 42% |
*Demographics as of December 2025
**Leadership positions include command staff, lieutenants, and sergeants
| National* | ||
| Gender | Male: 85% | Female: 15% |
| Race | White: 77% | POC: 23% |
*2018 from Data USA site