The San Antonio Police Department finds itself 149 officers short, and this week, the department will fill in City Council on its plans to make up for those gaps in the blue line, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
.Among the items currently in place or in line to be implemented include:
A 'Modified Academy,' where recruits who are already certified Texas Peace Officers can finish the Police Academy training in 16 weeks, instead of the standard 33 weeks.
Hiring bonuses have been upped to $5,000 for traditional new Police Academy cadets, and $7500 for appicants who are already Certified Peace Officers.
The police cadet application has been sh ortened and the aplication processing time has been reduced to 6-8 weeks, which has allowed the SAPD to 'remain competitive with other law enforcement agencies throughout the state.'
Both police officers and firefighters are eligible for 0% forgiveable loans to buy homes within the San Antonio city limits. The loans are for up to $15,00, depending on what part of the city the first responders choose to live in.
The police say 60 cadets are currently enrolled in the Police Academy, with an additional 28 probationary officers in their training period.
The SAPD expects to have nearly 150 new officers on the force by early 2018.
Police recruiting has become challenging not just in San Antonio but across the country in recent years for several reasons.
The increased scrutiny on the actions of police officers have prompted many potential recruits to look elsewhere for employment.
There are also concerns about the reliabilty of police pension plans in many cities. A main recruiting tool for police and firefighters for years has been a solid pension that in many cases can be collected after 20 years on the force, leaving officers young enough to start second careers. But the Dallas Police and Fire Pension fund, for example, is facing severe problems, and reports indicate unfunded liabilities in the billions of dollars facing public safety pension funds nationside.
The War on Terror has also opened up new opportunities in law enforcement on the federal level which many young people are choosing instead of a career with their local police force.