Santa Barbara cops are back in the saddle.
After years of struggling with recruitment and retention, the Santa Barbara Police Department is experiencing its highest staffing levels in more than a decade. Last year alone, it hired 20 new officers — a statistic that is “almost unheard of,” according to Police Chief Kelly Gordon.
“About five years ago, probably a little less, we saw a very significant exodus from the department,” Gordon said. “I guess that’s the best way to put it. We lost a great deal of officers.”…