Even before the recession was in full swing, Lt. Brian McCarthy had seen a change in the attitudes of civilians and certified police officers alike looking for open positions within the Pelham Police Department.

With one officer overseas in the military, McCarthy began to look for a temporary replacement, and though there was no guarantee the individual hired would have a job when the officer returned, it wasn’t long before he found a taker.

“It’s ‘take any work you can get.’ He told me, ‘I don’t care, it’s work and I’ll take it,’” McCarthy said. “Thankfully, we were able to keep him. and this is before the sky fell.”

Now the department has been inundated with applications from both certified police officers and civilians looking for work. This time last year, McCarthy said he had received two resumes. He has already received 25 so far this year with three coming in over the last week alone.

“Anytime that the economy starts to tank, people flock to government jobs, in my opinion. This recession is a perfect example of that. People are getting laid off from the private sector left and right, from computer companies to retail stores,” McCarthy said. “The only people so far that have not had to deal with any layoffs are the police.”

There has not been an increase in the number of resumes and applications flowing into the Police Department in nearby Salem, but officials said that was likely due to the department not having gone through a hiring process since the economic crisis began. During downturns and recessions in the past, Salem police Capt. Shawn Patten said the number of individuals applying for open positions rose to anywhere between 300 and 500.  During a year when the economy was doing well, that number would be around 50, he said.

Officials may have a chance see first hand how much interest in law enforcement employment has grown in the near future as selectmen plan to discuss applying for the COPS Hiring Recovery Program this week as a way to possibly bring three new officers to the department. As part of the economic stimulus package, the program subsidizes the first three years of the new officers’ salaries and benefits with the department agreeing to keep those individuals on staff for a full year after the funding ends.

If the town is approved, it would mark the first growth in the department since 1990, according to Chief Paul Donovan.

With one vacancy to be filled in his department, McCarthy has already begun interviewing applicants. One benefit of the increased interest in the position is the amount of certified police officers sending in resumes. While it costs roughly $27,000 and takes about a year to train a civilian, experienced officers can be patrolling in 12 weeks or less.

Still, the number of civilians putting in applications outweighs trained officers, according to Mc- Carthy. Given the economy, he said it wasn’t a surprise to him.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in the last 10 months,” McCarthy said. “We just got a vacancy that I’ve already got people in for interviews this (week)”