LAPD Nearing Goal of 10,000 Officers

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's goal of 10,000 officers on the force is nearing reality, reports the Daily News. Although the LAPD's website states there are 10,004 sworn officers, officials are not celebrating yet. That's because veteran officers are retiring at a rate of 40 a month. With only 10% of applicants making the cut (and then they're off to six months of training), building the department is a slower process.

When the force actually hits 10,050, it appears the LAPD can "safely" claim a 10,000 officer force. Once there, it's going to be about maintaining those numbers.

Despite arguments over rhetoric, crime has been going down over the past few years. The murder rate was significantly down in 2008 and this year so far it's even lower, 17.2% lower, according to the last COMPSTAT report.

Interesting Fact: "Today, the LAPD is 42 percent Latino, 12 percent black, 7 percent Asian and 37 percent white."