CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Police Department is celebrating another graduating recruit class and Chief Teresa Theetge said the new officers will be a big help to alleviate staffing issues.
Forty-seven new officers graduated Thursday from the 114th class of CPD's academy. Of those officers, 46 will hit the Cincinnati streets while one is headed to the University of Cincinnati Police Department.
"Obviously it helps us with our street strength," Theetge said. "Forty-six bodies is a tremendous number of bodies to put into patrol, but we're still looking for more."
The new officers will be placed with a coach for three months before going out on solo patrol, Theetge said. The 115th recruit class begins on Feb. 19, she said.
Theetge said the department recognizes that recruitment is a struggle for police departments nationwide.
"We have been putting a lot of resources, a lot of time and effort into our recruiting, because that's where we get the applicants from," Theetge said.
She said recruitment also remains a full-time job as the number of officers retiring and resigning also remains high.
"It is a drop in the bucket but, you know, hopefully we'll fill that bucket over time," Theetge said.
The chief said CPD is focused on getting the department's numbers back to full staffing by 2029.
While dealing with low staffing, Theetge said it's just as integral that the community keeps the department informed, whether that's concerning guns, where crimes such as "street takeovers" may take place and more.
CPD is currently taking applications for the 116th recruit class until Saturday, Jan. 6.
