Police departments across the United States are reporting an increase in their ranks for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 killing of George Floyd, which led to a historic exodus of officers, a survey shows.

More sworn officers were hired in 2023 than in any one of the previous four years, and fewer officers overall resigned or retired, according to the 214 law enforcement agencies that responded to a survey by the Police Executive Research Forum, or PERF.

Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers spurred nationwide protests against police brutality and heightened scrutiny of law enforcement.

  • @voracitude
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    3515 days ago

    Okay but how many of these “new hires” were previously fired from other departments, or quit in protest when their license to kill got questioned?

    • @[email protected]
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      1715 days ago

      Exactly. I imagine Floridas numbers show growth since they’re a “sanctuary state” for the worst of the worst cops.

    • Snot Flickerman
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      15 days ago

      State laws were changed and this guy is under Federal investigation and the family of the person he killed moved to a different city… Only for this cop to be hired in the city the family fled to trying to avoid death threats and harassment.

      Local cops didn’t give one flying fuck that this guys fuckups changed state laws and he is still under Federal investigation.

      So yeah, they just hire the fuckups from elsewhere. And I’m in a “progressive state.”

    • @disguy_ovahea
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      1015 days ago

      Don’t fool yourself. Those officers get rehired in new departments rather quickly. They’re already trained, so it’s far less expensive, and much more efficient, to hire them over a new candidate.

  • @paddirn
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    1615 days ago

    These protesting college kids aren’t going to bash their own skulls in.

  • @CaptainSpaceman
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    715 days ago

    They’re probably still shortstaffed, but around my area they’ve starred hiring $15/hr pseudo cops that only do papwrrork and control traffic.

  • sylver_dragon
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    714 days ago

    Just had to call this one out:

    … Maria “Maki” Haberfeld, chair of the Department of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice said. “It’s not about tattoos or running a mile in 15 minutes. …”

    If it takes you 15 minutes to “run” a mile, you aren’t actually running.

    • @EmpathicVagrant
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      114 days ago

      Some of us are out of shape, I got my mile down to 23 min and I’m proud of the improvement from where I was - meanwhile I’m in better shape than a lot of veteran cops I’ve met, but not the fit or new guys

      • sylver_dragon
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        414 days ago

        I got my mile down to 23 min and I’m proud of the improvement from where I was

        And that really is great for you. I wish you all the best in seeking to better yourself.
        But, a 15 minute mile is a fast walking pace. And when talking about police officers, I’d expect a bit more fitness than “I don’t die of a heart attack when faced with a flight of stairs”. Sure, I recognize that they are more likely to use a radio to outrun a suspect (and that’s how it should work); but, they are also somewhat likely to face situations where physical exertion is expected.