The GW Police Department is looking to hire two student outreach liaisons this spring.

GWPD Chief James Tate said the liaisons will organize community engagement events and assist in print and digital communications to establish more connections between GWPD officers and the student body. The application will close Feb. 20, and the requirements include a resume, a federal work-study student statement, advanced critical thinking, communication, organization and teamwork skills.

“We created the positions because of the value of student voices and the desire to maintain positive partnerships with students and student organizations,” Tate said in a Friday email.

Liaisons will serve as GWPD points of contact for students who would rather speak to a peer than a police officer, organize and maintain an event calendar for community events and assist in publicizing and planning events in the GWPD Newsletter.

The University will pay the liaisons an hourly rate of $16.10, the District’s city-wide minimum wage. Officers will conduct a background check for each applicant because the liaisons will have special access to residence halls and other restricted areas in their position.

Tate said GWPD officers will continue to evaluate the success of the liaison program in improving outreach on an ongoing basis. He said the department is adding two outreach liaison positions after hiring one student liaison last semester.

“GWPD employed one student outreach liaison last semester and found the results extremely valuable to our organization,” Tate said. “We’re excited and looking forward to working with two students this semester!”

The opening of the position comes as the GWPD under Tate aims to improve relations with the student body. In November, he said that since assuming leadership in 2020, community outreach has been a “priority” for the department.

Last semester, GWPD officials organized a variety of community outreach events, including Raise High with GWPD, a meet-and-greet with officers in U-Yard where officials handed out food and spoke to students. The department also began Coffee with the Chief, 15-minute conversation appointment slots with Tate on the third Thursday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m.

Tate said GWPD officials will begin reviewing candidates’ applications on Jan. 20.