The Bowie Police Department in Maryland is rolling out an incentive program designed to improve recruitment, offering citizens $500 for referring a successful police candidate and thousands of dollars as a signing bonus for the officers.

“Now more than ever it is vital for our community to be part of the process of shaping the way it is served. To encourage that involvement, we are offering a $500 incentive to anyone (yes, anyone!) who refers a successful police candidate to us,” Chief John Nesky said in a statement.

The program also makes successful new hires eligible for a signing bonus of between $3,000 and $9,000.

Nesky said he will talk more about the initiative at Bowie’s National Night Out Against Crime event at Allen Pond Park on Tuesday.