The Albany Police Department is grappling with a significant staffing shortage, with 75 officer positions currently vacant, accounting for about 22% of the total force. This marks a slight improvement from a nearly 25% shortage in March, but hiring remains a challenge.
Chief Brendan Cox is proposing the creation of new “peace officer” positions to help fill the gaps. “We have to act. We’re 75 officers short. We have officers that can walk out the door tomorrow,” said Cox.
“We are not going to be able to just hire 75 officers tomorrow and have them out on the street. Even if we hired 75 officers tomorrow, there’s a long process of sending people through the police academy, a long process of training people, a long process of getting people up to speed,” Cox said at a Julu 30th meeting of the city’s Finance, Taxation & Assessment Committee…