Cities struggle to recruit and retain officers amid increasing crime
Demonstrators and officers at the police headquarters in downtown Kansas City, Mo.
Associated Press/Photo by Charlie Riedel (file)
The majority of employees at the Brookline, Mass., police department have considered leaving in recent weeks, some after decades of service, according to an anonymous survey conducted between Feb. 22 and March 6. It found 86 percent of respondents described morale as “poor.”
“My family members were proud to work for the town,” one respondent said. “Now, all of us can’t wait to retire/leave.”
Many cited internal issues, like a lack of leadership, poor pay, and increasing workloads. Another common complaint was lack of support from the community and its leaders. “Why would any officer want to stay here when the citizens march against us in the streets for something that happened in the country so far away?” another respondent said.