At a time when police departments across the nation are struggling to recruit officers, the city of Warren said they've managed to bring on seven of them, and are looking for more.

The city received a grant, and the department is paying the officers a $10,00 dollar signing bonus, as well as offering lateral transfer, which means when officers are hired under Warren's department, they won't start with base pay. Instead, they'll get paid based on the time they've put in.

"It's the overall benefits package," Chief Eric Merkel said, "We have pension pickup. We have a lot of other things that other agencies don't have, bringing our full package up to, or close to the top of this whole valley."

So how will the department sustain the money needed to pay for the manpower? Merkel said they are budgeted for 70 of them, and the new recruits bring the amount of manpower to about 64.

"Four or five of them are going to be paid through the grant," he said, "We're already budgeted. There's an income tax that passed several years ago where they brought it and would bring us up to 70 [officers budgeted]."

Officer Dragan Poledica worked in the Trumbull County Sheriff's office for 25 years and then spent several years in Portage County, but he's back home.

"I worked along Warren City Police Department for 25 years, some of my best friend's work here, great reputation. Their leadership speaks for itself. The chief, his team, the mayor, it's something you don't see often," he said. 

Chief Merkel said the department is still looking for at least six additional officers to join the team.