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Commission hears staffing alarm: chief outlines DROP-driven attrition and academy plans
Summary
SFPD told the Police Commission it expects high near-term attrition tied to DROP and retirements and outlined academy and lateral recruitment plans; the chief reported application volumes and asked the city for support to meet staffing needs.
The San Francisco Police Commission discussed anticipated staffing shortages and long-term recruitment plans on April 4 as the chief outlined projected retirements tied to DROP and a path to replenish ranks with several academy classes.
The chief told the commission that the department expected substantial near-term departures: "we'll have 45 members gone by the end of this fiscal year, a 100 or more by the end of the next fiscal year, and the remainder of the 265 gone by the end of June '14," as stated in the transcript. He said the department planned a lateral class of 10 in May and an entry-level academy class of 50 in June, and hoped for multiple classes the following year to approach full staffing levels. The chief called for a mix of solutions including more academy classes, retaining efficiencies in operations, and technology investments to keep officers in the field.
Commissioners repeatedly urged that the city keep the issue in front of the Board of Supervisors and mayor due to the budget implications; one commissioner suggested a focused presentation explaining how the 1971 staffing figure was derived and how demographic and development changes affect policing needs.
On recruitment volumes, the chief said the applicant test crashed the city system and produced between 3,000 and 4,000 initial applicants; about 2,500-2,800 people took the test, and "we're still, in the ballpark of 2,000 people...that have passed the written process...and now we're into the background process." Commissioners asked about diversity and language skills; the chief said HR rules prevent previewing candidate rosters before selections are finalized.
Public comment during the discussion reflected a range of views: one speaker warned that high salaries, overtime and pension costs contribute to fiscal strain and urged structural salary changes; another District 10 resident urged more officers in high-crime neighborhoods and asked officials to find funding to prevent crime increases. The commission requested a focused briefing on staffing formulas and indicated support for pursuing as many academy classes as feasible.
