Cherry Hill Police Department focuses efforts on recruiting high-quality candidates for the force.

Cherry Hill's police department has stepped up the hunt — not for clues or suspects but for recruits who want to wear the blue uniform of the force in South Jersey's most-populous municipality.

"How can we expose ourselves to the greatest number of people?" has been the crucial question, Police Chief John Ostermueller told 70and73.com in an interview.

Ostermueller said that, as his department recruits, it is "important to draw candidates from all walks of life" and build a pool of qualified individuals.

The goal, he said, is to move into 2026 with as many qualified candidates in the recruiting pipeline as possible to support hiring for the department of 136 full-time sworn officers. 

Sometimes 10 officers will leave the department in a year and sometimes only two, often depending on the retirement cycle of those who joined 25 years before, he said. 

In late July, the department kicked off a new recruiting campaign that will be open until September 5. In September, candidates will undergo physical and written exams and an interview. 

A series of videos has been commissioned to show what life on the force is like. The first three-minute video, showing members of the force in action, is on Facebook here.

A billboard campaign to raise awareness will debut over the next few weeks on Route 38 as drivers enter Pennsauken and the Cherry Hill area, at the Pennsauken Airport Circle and on Route 42 in Gloucester Township.

Ostermueller said money confiscated from felons and not tax dollars is funding the video and billboard advertising campaigns.

Traditional police candidates typically come from families with others in public service or from those who were in the military. The chief said he believes there are qualified non-traditional candidates in college, for example, who may not know what they want for a career but might be attracted to the notion of public service with the police.

The department requires a bachelor's degree, but some hires with work experience may be added to the force with the understanding they need to earn their bachelor's degree in eight years, Ostermueller said.

Interested applicants can contact police department training Officer Anthony Amato at (856) 685-2192.  

"We're in a position of strength here," Ostermueller said. "I think this is the landing spot for some of the best candidates in the region."