CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Police Department has been struggling with staffing and recruitment for years, but Chief Theresa Theetge said Tuesday a crisis scenario could be just a few years away.
"We're in dire conditions right now," Theetge said. "Would I say we are at critical mass? No, but I do think we are at a time where we have to put our best foot forward."
Theetge said if the department doesn't act, it could face a staffing crisis by 2029.
The ideal number of officers for CPD to have is 1,059, according to Theetge. Right now, CPD data shows there are 957 officers. The number is estimated to drop further to 894 in 2029.
This estimate factors in the number of officers in a program called DROP, and the number of officers expected to retire. It also factors in non-retirement-related terminations for 16 officers and adds 60 officers each year expected to graduate from the police academy.
"DROP stands for our Deferred Retirement Option Plan," Theetge said. "It is an agreement between the officer and the pension board where they retire, they get their benefits, but they are reinvested so they stay on city employment."
Theetge said the best financial decision for these officers is to stay on city employment through DROP for a minimum of five years and a maximum of eight.
There are a few reasons staffing and recruitment levels are where they are, Theetge said.
"I think it’s the narrative — the negative narrative around being a police officer,” she said.
Plus, from 2009-2013, CPD didn't have new recruits in part because of a lack of money. The recent number of applicants and size of recruit classes have been smaller, too after 2020.
The City of Cincinnati Human Resources department said in July 2020 there were more than 2,000 applicants. CPD's last test had 822 applicants.
Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils said the staffing numbers are having an impact on officers.
"I think the staffing levels here are being felt more by the officers on the street than anywhere else," he said. "I think it's dangerous, I think it's stressful."
One solution CPD is considering is reallocating officers that are in a preferred assignment.
"It will help the officers in patrol, they need the help," Theetge said. "That's where we're losing most of the bodies, is in patrol. But it might have a negative impact on officers that are in preferred assignments because they might lose their assignment."
Theetge said some of these officers might choose to retire. Hils said reallocation is overdue.
Other steps the city and CPD have already taken to help with recruitment include increasing pay from $19/an hour to $25/an hour, adding bonuses and reaching out to local college athletic programs to encourage college athletes to become police officers when they graduate.
The department is also working on implementing its Public Safety Academy to get high school students involved with CPD.
Another recruitment strategy it's considering is a pathway program to keep 18-20-year-olds who are interested in becoming an officer engaged until they can apply for a recruit class when they turn 21.
CPD is looking into joining the National Testing Network to make it easier for people across the country to take the test needed to get into the Police Academy.
