As Starr County grows, so does the need for public safety.

Starr County police departments say recruiting locally is a challenge because of the lack of a police academy in the area.

“I had to work full-time, and drive an hour to Mission to attend the academy, and get home at 10, 11 o'clock at night, wake up and start the process all over again,” Rio Grande City police investigator Justin Falcon said.

The Rio Grande City Police Department is hoping to change that with the opening of the county's first and only police academy.

Falcon will be one of the instructors teaching a new generation of officers. Channel 5 News was told the academy isn’t costing the city, and the academy’s seven instructors are certified.

Local departments are hoping this new academy will encourage more Starr County natives to join local law enforcement agencies to fill vacancies they have, and hopefully maintain those positions.

“It creates more stability where there are more officers out there that we can pick from,” Rio Grande City Interim Police Chief Jose Solis said.

Once they've completed the academy, cadets can go anywhere. 

“Had this opportunity presented itself back in 2012 when I attended, I would have definitely taken advantage of it,” Falcon said.

The classes last six months and cost $2,500.

The department is hosting several entrance exams in January and February.

Click here for more details, or call 956-682-3481, extension 186.

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