What kind of person would become a police officer right now? That’s a question cops across the country are asking. Some say they wouldn’t do it themselves if they were making the choice now. Others say they’d discourage their children from following in their footsteps. But this is about more than how police are treated; it’s time to wonder what this sinking morale will mean for all of the communities that rely on the police for their safety and security. The number of new applicants at police departments across the country had been plummeting for some time but may reach crisis levels as national anti-police sentiment grows, stoked by a wave of protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. A 2019 survey by the Police Executive Research Forum found that fewer people were becoming police officers and more officers were taking early retirement. Sixty-six percent of police departments nationwide reported a drop in recruitment numbers. The study called it a “crisis.” A year later, it threatens to become a full-blown catastrophe. Rory, 22, lives on Long Island and has always wanted to be a police officer. He’s exactly the kind of smart, calm-under-pressure, composed young man we all would want on the job. He has one year left of college before he planned to apply. But the last month has rattled him, and he’s no longer sure of his path. “Police...