State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Some Police Departments Are Adding Staff for the First Time in Years

Governing: For years, the Jersey City Police Department experienced a gradual downsizing of its ranks. Staffing remained flat despite population growth, and it shuttered its police academy. But recently, the department has accelerated hiring -- adding more than 300 officers since 2013.

The additional manpower has meant more resources for traffic enforcement, counterterrorism work and training. It has also allowed for the creation of the department’s first dedicated officer recruiting unit.

Many local police departments across the country have also been staffing up for the first time in several years, according to the latest FBI statistics. Among big-city departments, Detroit, Newark, N.J., and Philadelphia all experienced particularly large increases in total personnel between 2015 and 2016. Of larger departments with at least 500 personnel, the top 10 reported year-over-year increases between 6 and 37 percent.

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