Police departments across the United States are reporting an increase in their ranks for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 killing of George Floyd, which led to a historic exodus of officers, a survey shows.

More sworn officers were hired in 2023 than in any one of the previous four years, and fewer officers overall resigned or retired, according to the 214 law enforcement agencies that responded to a survey by the Police Executive Research Forum, or PERF.

Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers spurred nationwide protests against police brutality and heightened scrutiny of law enforcement.

  • voracitude@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Okay but how many of these “new hires” were previously fired from other departments, or quit in protest when their license to kill got questioned?

    • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      2 months ago

      State laws were changed and this guy is under Federal investigation and the family of the person he killed moved to a different city… Only for this cop to be hired in the city the family fled to trying to avoid death threats and harassment.

      Local cops didn’t give one flying fuck that this guys fuckups changed state laws and he is still under Federal investigation.

      So yeah, they just hire the fuckups from elsewhere. And I’m in a “progressive state.”

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Don’t fool yourself. Those officers get rehired in new departments rather quickly. They’re already trained, so it’s far less expensive, and much more efficient, to hire them over a new candidate.