DETROIT – It's an honorable job risking your life to keep others safe.
Saturday recruits who want to join the Detroit Police Department attended a recruiting fair.
If there's anyone who knows what it's like to be in their shoes, it's Chief James Craig.
"I know as a young man that was me 36 years ago. I was 19-years-old, probably 18, when I first applied and I wanted to be a part of Detroit because I knew that's where the activity was," said Craig.
The Detroit Police Department is recruiting a new generation of officers by hosting the job fair to find 60 men and women who are up to the demands of a tough job.
"Detroit PD seems like a good opportunity. They're hiring. So I thought I will take chances come down and see what I can do," said DPD hopeful Cory Goble from Hamburg.
"I recently went back to college last spring and my major is criminal justice. And this is the career I want to go into," said another recruit.
Public safety continues to be a big concern in many Detroit neighborhoods where it seems like criminals have the upper hand because police are slow to respond.
What the city can afford to offer these future officers, for the challenges ahead patrolling the streets of Detroit is a $30,000 starting salary.
"I wish it was higher but it's no secret that there's a fiscal crisis in the city of Detroit. But the people who are attracted to this work, it's not just the money that attracts them. It's their willing to want to give back," said Maurice Denson from Flint.
Destiny Evans hopes to be an agent of positive change in her hometown as a police officer.
"Seeing the city the way it is, wanting me to help out my city more because I love my city. Seeing the city going through bankruptcy and all this other stuff," said Evens.