On Monday, December 5, 2016, PLEA held a press conference regarding the current manpower issue the Phoenix Police Department is facing.
Despite a flow of recent Academy graduates entering and completing the Field Training program, Patrol is still dangerously understaffed and as of December 15, 2016, 155 officers and 14 sergeants are slated to be transferred back to Patrol from investigative and specialty positions throughout the Department.
It has been PLEA’s position all along that the City should have never stopped hiring police officers and at the minimum, should have at least hired to keep up with attrition. However, this decision was not made by police management; it was made by City leadership and management, which includes the Mayor, City Council, and City manager.
PLEA will continue to press this issue to ensure that the Phoenix Police Department has sufficient staffing for not only Patrol, but investigative details as well.
CLICK HERE to listen to an audio clip from KJZZ 91.5 FM which includes comments from PLEA President Ken Crane.