ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Police departments across New York state continue to deal with a growing shortage of officers.
What You Need To Know
One of the biggest factors causing the shortage is the number of retirements within the departments
Departments turning to new recruting techniques
New York state raised the maximum age to sit for the police officer entrance exam from 35 to 43 years old to help fill shortages
“Being an officer now more than ever takes a special type of individual,” said Sgt. Justin Collins.
That special person is what Collins is hoping to attract to the Rochester Police Department.
“Someone who wants to serve and has a heart for service. Do something beyond a 9-5 job,” said Collins.
Collins oversees recruitment and retention with RPD. He says the department is dealing with one of the largest officer shortages in the state.
It’s a shortage that’s beginning to affect their day-to-day.
“Our call volume, our response time, is affected,” he said. “We’re making adjustments on our end. It has an impact on the officers working extra hours.”
In 2024, the International Association of Chiefs of Police conducted a survey of more than 1,000 agencies across the country. About 65% of respondents reported that they had reduced services or specialized units because of staffing challenges.
One of the biggest factors causing the shortage is the number of retirements within the departments, Collins says.
“We’re putting out classes of 20-30 but we’re losing 10-15. We can’t keep up with the rate”, said Collins.
RPD needs around 100 officers to be fully staffed. Compare that to Buffalo and Albany, which are both down about 60 officers. Syracuse’s police department says they’re hoping to fill around 40 positions.
“The job isn’t just responding to calls, there’s a lot more that comes with it and people are asking about that,, said Lt. Dallas Pelz.
In that 2024 survey from the IACP, more than 70% of respondents say that recruitment is more difficult now than five years ago.
Pelz has spent two years working in recruiting with the Syracuse Police Department. He hopes new initiatives like a pause on the city’s residency program will help fill the gap.
“It will pause it for two years and they can live outside the county with guidelines. Think that that will help us recruit as well,” said Pelz.
Collins is also turning to new recruitment efforts.
The Rochester Police Department launched a teen academy, hoping to get younger people interested sooner in the profession.
“What’s our long-term vision? We want to grow our own as we battle the hiring crisis. We have an opportunity to grow our own internally,” said Collins.
Last fall, New York state raised the maximum age to sit for the police officer entrance exam from 35 to 43 years old. Departments say that’s also been a huge help for filling the shortage.