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The Albuquerque Police Department aims to reach its recruitment goal of 1,100 sworn officers and is turning to TV to do it.

The department is airing three 30-second commercials on three Albuquerque stations for several months, Police Chief Ray Schultz said.

"We are selling the city of Albuquerque, and it's very easy to sell," he said.

The broadcasts will reach all of New Mexico and parts of southern Colorado and eastern Arizona, Schultz said.

The first commercial aired July 2. The rest start on July 4, he said.

The series cost $55,000 to create, Schultz said. He isn't sure how much it will cost to air them because the stations' rates vary and because the duration of the campaign isn't certain, he said.

Unlike APD's lighthearted billboard advertisements featuring "Runaway Bride" Jennifer Wilbanks and department spokeswoman Trish Hoffman, the televised commercials take a more serious approach.

Each 30-second spot features paid actors and uniformed police officers. The commercials show Albuquerque's skyline, SWAT teams breaking down doors, and officers smiling and talking to city residents.

The recruitment effort follows an April 2006 order from Mayor Martin Chavez to increase the number of sworn officers from 974 to 1,100 as soon as possible.

As of last week, the department had 1,020 officers, Schultz said.

The department last year broadened acceptance standards to consider candidates without college degrees and who smoked marijuana as recently as two years ago, rather than three.

The department will also look beyond the Southwest for recruits. Schultz, of Detroit, and recruiters will travel to Michigan in a few weeks.

Schultz said that by going back to Michigan, he can tell possible recruits about the benefits of living in Albuquerque and working for New Mexico's largest police force.

APD officers will also visit Chicago, New York City and San Diego.

Albuquerque police officers can expect a starting pay of about $32,000, while State Police salaries start around $36,000.

Schultz said he isn't sure how much the department has spent on advertising this year.