INDIANAPOLIS — It’s a challenge the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department continues to face—recruiting and retention.
“Our staffing is down. That is the short answer. Our staffing is down,” said IMPD Assistant Chief Catherine Cummings. “We are not unique. That is not unique to Indianapolis. That is a problem that is happening across the country, but we are working very hard to figure out how to up our numbers.”
According to IMPD, the city is budgeted for 1,843 officers. One hundred of those jobs come from American Rescue Plan Act funds, which expire at the end of the year.
As of last Thursday, the department has 1,489 sworn officers. That means IMPD is down about 350 officers.
Based on numbers IMPD gave 13News last October, we know the department lost at least 31 officers in four months.
Indianapolis isn't the only community facing a shortage of police officers. It's a national problem. The Midwest lost more than six percent of its police officers between 2020 and 2022.
Since 2019, resignations are up more than 42%. In large cities like Indianapolis, it's even worse. We've had a 91% increase in resignations.
In February, a new command staff was sworn in at IMPD. They are hoping to finally turn these numbers around.
IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said it's a top priority.
In the last few years, IMPD has given raises to veteran officers, increased salaries for recruits and started a marketing campaign.
Last year, the department also changed the format of how they run their recruit classes. They are now overlapping classes so even though they are smaller in numbers, the department is having them more frequently.
Cummings said her goal is to help people understand the job better and the skills that are needed.
“I think there are so many people in our community who have the skill set to be really great officers and I think they don’t necessarily realize that,” she said. “I don’t want to confuse anybody. This is an extremely difficult job, but it is so rewarding and it’s a job that needs to be done.”
She believes the department’s recruitment efforts are working.
“We are getting people in the door. We are continuing to have classes. We are continuing to hire people, but could we do a better job? Absolutely,” Cummings said.
Right now, IMPD has not cut any services because of the staffing shortage. However, they are moving some of the department’s professional staff into roles previously done by sworn officers.
She hopes IMPD’s command staff will bring new energy that helps boost their numbers.
“We want to tap into that new energy and show everyone in the community that this is the new IMPD. Come join us. Come work with us. Come serve your community,” Cummings said.
With it being Women’s History Month, the department is also making a push to recruit more women from the community. Right now, women make up 12 percent to 13 percent of IMPD. The new command staff is now 30 percent women.
IMPD is hosting a “Women Behind the Badge” event on March 23rd from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the IMPD Training Academy.
This is an opportunity for those who are interested in joining the IMPD to understand the process, learn about some of the achievements of women officers in the field and find out what it takes to become a police officer in the 21st Century.