Arizona DPS recruiting campaign lands at Sky Harbor airport

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Public Safety has landed an SUV – with full decals – inside the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport baggage claim area as part of a recruiting campaign.

Every day, the airport gets 120,000 travelers from around the country.

“They’re out, they’re moving around, they’re coming and going,” DPS Director Col. Frank Milstead said. “We want people to have the opportunity to see there’s an opportunity to be in law enforcement.”

Milstead hopes the SUVs – which troopers pushed through the sliding doors – along with video screens and a large recruitment display will get their attention, like it has with other agencies.

“We’ve already irritated Phoenix P.D. because this is their airport, and I would like to irritate some more states by putting our display up in their airports to drag people to Arizona,” he said.

The display is the first of its kind in Sky Harbor.

Milstead said, like other agencies nationwide, Arizona DPS struggles to recruit candidates who fear for their safety and scrutiny through the latest “viral video” capturing their actions.

He added that his department has 180 vacancies.

Follow @ktarpetersamore