INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD added to its ranks Monday, swearing in the department's 27th recruit class, but they're still down hundreds of officers.
Now, some are warning the shortage of staff could create new consequences with cuts affecting police services in Indianapolis.
IMPD Chief Randal Taylor calls them contingency plans as the department works to boost its ranks.
Thirty-three men and women are in the 27th IMPD recruit class.
Family and friends were on hand Monday afternoon to witness the ceremony and cheer on their loved ones, as they prepare to enter the academy.
All heard the call to serve at a time when this department is desperate to add more officers.
Recruit Sadel Watson, a father and former loan officer, is now going from mortgages to mentorship as a police officer in his hometown.
"I didn't know they were desperate. I joined out of my own heart," Watson said. "Just be a positive role model of my own skin tone, working with our community as a way to help mitigate a lot of things that children and kids will go through that maybe turn them to violence."
"I think we'll see a lot of good stuff coming out of this group," Taylor said. "Of course, we'd ultimately ... we'd like a lot more of them."
Despite major marketing campaigns and growing salaries to start at $72,000, growing the ranks remains a challenge for IMPD.
They're still down 322 officers.
And Indianapolis FOP President Rick Snyder warns the department is now considering cuts to services.
"It's a recipe for disaster," Snyder said.
"We're not cutting anything," Taylor told 13News. "All we've done is look down the road a bit and, you know, the 'what ifs.'"
"I think for them to say that that's not going to occur would not be fully forthright. They've already conveyed that to the officers of the police department. They're already doing reallocation studies of how to reallocate the limited number of officers we have to go into patrol functions," Snyder said. "Then, on top of that, we're going to have to start looking at eliminating units."
Synder cited examples, such as police taking more reports by phone or online — instead of in person — and disbanding the IMPD arson unit, shifting that responsibility to IFD.
Arson detectives, Snyder said, would be put on patrols instead.
"They're leaving it to the fire department to handle," Snyder said. "Is that a cut? Well, firefighters will be handling that, but the IMPD officers that were being used to investigate those criminal cases where law enforcement action was needed, they will no longer be doing that. That's a prime example."
"No decision has been made on that. I have a meeting with (IFD Chief Ernest) Malone," Taylor said, when asked about the arson unit. "Even if we decide to go that route, it wouldn't happen until likely 2025 — if at all."
Taylor also said it's important to note that more recently, firefighters working arsons have received training at the police academy, specifically on investigations.
Taylor also said these aren't "cuts" but "contingencies."
"These are just things that have been looked at as possibilities if staffing drops to a level where we feel we have to implement those things, then we would, but we're not there yet," Taylor said.
The hope is they never get there, that more recruits like Watson step up and join IMPD.
"I'm just, I'm here to serve, you know," Watson said. "We've got a lot of people turning to more drastic ways to make ends meet, so I'd like to bridge some of the gap starting at a younger generation, being a positive role model that way, and then, transfiguring how the public views us as police officers."