An Ohio police department facing a severe staffing shortage is considering hiring officers from other jurisdictions, according to the city's police union.
The Fraternal Order of Police, Capital City Lodge No. 9 says 110 officers have left the Division of Police so far this year, compared to 112 in 2020 and 77 in 2019, WBNS-TV reports. That's put a strain on current officers.
"We have never been busier," Brian Steel of the Fraternal Order of Police told the news outlet. "There's never been a more challenging time to be a police officer. The violent crime and homicides are at an all-time high, and we are short officers."
“We are doing more with less," he added. "That means you are getting a little bit less response time.”
Because of that shortage, the department is looking at the possibility of pulling officers from other departments, Steel said. It's an approach that the union doesn't have an issue with.
“There's been talk about lateral transfers, and what that looks like," he said. "The FOP has agreed to lateral transfers through (memoranda of understanding) with other agencies in Lodge 9. There's nothing we would oppose to here.
“Working on a comprehensive approach, it's going to be more officers on the street that are trained with de-escalation and community policing things that Chief (Elaine) Bryant is working on," he added.
