TAYLORVILLE, Ill. (WTVO) — Small-town police departments across the country are facing a big challenge filling vacancies, and that includes some in Central Illinois.

Police said that the issue is not as easy of a fix as some might think, especially in rural areas. Most departments are currently trying to fill vacancies and are pulling from the same pool of candidates, but smaller areas cannot offer the same pay.

One Taylorville officer said that most new recruits are looking for immediate cash flow, excitement and room to move up. However, she said that what they lack pay they make up for in training and community engagement.

It has made the small department an exception to the vacancy trend.

“We have laterals that want to come to us, some from bigger agencies, because they’ve realized, you know, ‘hey, it’s a lot harder to connect with the community,’ and that’s something, you know, we are so fortunate to have, is a great community support from our city council and our mayor to our actual citizens that we serve,” said Taylorville Police Officer Kirsten Beamon.

The Taylorville department is currently fully staffed, but that was not always the case. Beamon said that she remembers what it took for them to get there.