Results tagged “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.

Problem: Los Angeles has a shortage of officers for its population and physical size. Budgets are tight, hiring freezes keep the department from hiring new civilian workers, forcing sworn officers to desk work rather than being out on the streets. Bottom line: the city is short 3,000 police officers to where Chief William Bratton would like it to be.