A year and a half after anti-police sentiment became widespread with the resurgence of Black Lives Matter, cities across the country are struggling with understaffed police departments as morale has failed to rebound.
CNN reached out to nearly 20 police departments across the country, including Atlanta, Phoenix, and Seattle. Two major problems are at fault for police shortage. The first is the pay, as police officers can make more money in similar jobs without putting themselves in harm’s way as often. Cities have taken to offering bonuses for new hires, and cities that previously stripped funding from their police departments, such as Minneapolis, have reversed course in order to bring in new officers.
But the pay challenges are compounded by another matter: low morale. With the fervent support of the Black Lives Matter movement came the adoption of anti-police narratives by major cultural institutions and city and state leaders. Television shows about police officers, such as Cops and Live PD, were canceled. Police officers were condemned by celebrities and athletes, even when they did everything right. And politicians embraced anti-police activists, letting officers in their cities know that leadership wouldn’t have their backs.
According to a June 2021 survey from the Police Executive Research Forum, police departments saw a 44% increase in retirements and an 18% increase in resignations. A hiring firm that works with law enforcement told CNN that finding recruits in more liberal cities was difficult. Officers and prospective recruits know how quickly they can be thrown under the bus by Democratic politicians in their cities. Understandably, many would rather spend their time doing something else.
This is not something that can be fixed overnight, and it can’t be fixed by money alone. The problem is the decay of trust between police officers and the city leaders who are supposed to support them. City leaders let Black Lives Matter protests devolve into violent riots. They chose to listen to the demands of anti-police activists who want to defund, or even abolish, police departments. The policy debate about police reform took a backseat to painting police officers and police departments as villains in a racial narrative. The consequences of that will be with us for years to come.
