![Police Recruiting Is a Problem Across the Nation](http://townsquare.media/site/180/files/2019/09/GettyImages-52065066.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Police Recruiting Is a Problem Across the Nation
Shreveport police have been struggling to recruit officers and the Caddo Sheriff tells KEEL News he has been having trouble finding officers who want to serve.
Shreveport is down by about 100 officers and only 29 folks have qualified to be in the next academy class. The Caddo Sheriff's Office is down by at least 75 deputies according to Sheriff Steve Prator. But our area is not the only community facing this problem.
The Associated Press reports this is a national problem:
Law enforcement agencies across the country experienced a wave of retirements and departures and are struggling to recruit the next generation of police officers in the year since George Floyd was killed by a cop. And amid the national reckoning on policing, communities are questioning who should become a police officer today. Nationwide protests and calls for reforming and defunding the police, as well as the coronavirus pandemic, took their toll on officer morale. New research on nearly 200 law enforcement agencies conducted by the Washington-based Police Executive Research Forum and provided to The Associated Press shows the rate of retirements at some departments rose 45% compared with the previous year.
Who Are the Most Powerful Women in Shreveport Bossier?
More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL
![Dramatic Footage Shows Shooting From Outside of Popular Louisiana Bar](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-Screen-Shot-2024-07-10-at-1.25.13-PM.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Mall of Louisiana Announces Strict Policy for Minors](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/06/attachment-Screen-Shot-2024-06-25-at-12.00.48-PM.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![These 6 Car Issues Will Get You Pulled Over in a Hurry in Louisiana](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2017/12/RS2667_91387506.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Truck Crashes Through Louisiana Convenience Store, Injuries Unknown](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-451428443_875361657961063_9009058308210370374_n.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Lafayette Police Seek Public’s Help in Identifying iPad Theft Suspect](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-07-15T194605.280.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Alleged Donald Trump Shooter Spotted Nearly 30 Minutes Before Shots Fired](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-GettyImages-2161431349.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![WATCH: Would This Viral ‘Texas Gumbo’ Pass a South Louisiana Inspection?](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2023/12/attachment-Texas-Gumbo-Pepper-Belly-Pete.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Donald Trump Has Made His Vice Presidential Pick](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-GettyImages-2159730000.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![CHECK IT OUT: You Can Rent This Awesome Tower in New Iberia, Louisiana](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-new-iberia-airbnb-2.jpg?w=980&q=75)