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Police chief warns of staffing shortfalls, seeks 8–10 recruits for 2027 academy
Summary
The police chief told the commission the department has three unexpected openings, multiple staff on injured reserve and anticipates about six retirements early next year; the department plans a fall hiring push to recruit 8–10 candidates for the January 2027 academy.
The Wausau Police Department reported staffing pressures including three unanticipated openings this year and several officers currently on injured reserve, which together represent nearly a full patrol shift of unavailable personnel, the police chief said. The chief told the commission the department may lose about six officers to retirement in the first months of 2027 and plans a hiring drive this fall to recruit roughly 8–10 candidates for the January 2027 academy.
"Currently, we have 3 openings that were unanticipated for this year," the police chief said. The department recently ran an abbreviated hiring process limited to certified or certifiable candidates; six applied and only a subset were seen as a fit, prompting a broader recruitment effort in the fall. The chief said the city will prioritize hiring candidates who appear likely to be successful with the department rather than filling slots at any cost.
The chief also noted short-term mitigation steps include creative scheduling and overtime management; leaders plan to use new scheduling software (discussed later by the fire chief) and to request additional resources if necessary.
