PHOENIX — Even though the pay and benefits have increased in recent years, the Phoenix Police Department still needs about 500 more officers to be fully staffed.
The department reportedly saw a jump in monthly applicants after getting rid of the written portion of their application, however, there's still a shortage.
The latest numbers from the city show the department is budgeted for 3,125 sworn officers. They currently have 2,563 officers.
Check out Phoenix PD careers here.
Officials with the city manager's office told ABC15 they've been increasing pay for officers over the years and now they're the highest paid in the state.
See ABC15's previous coverage on first responder shortages in the Valley:
"A new pay structure for police officers was implemented in the summer of 2022, making PPD the highest-paid Arizona law enforcement agency," said Dan Wilson, the city's director of communication.
It's not just the police department.
The city's fire department needs about 60 more firefighters to fill its 1,822 spots.
A spokesperson with the Phoenix Fire Department told ABC15 they just had 1,000 applicants take the written exam.
Check out Phoenix FD careers here.
"Every effort is made to meet daily response needs to provide our community with fire and emergency medical services," said Ali Pardi, the department's deputy communications director.
"The department continues to look at innovative ways to recruit new firefighters and will share our progress in the coming months as it remains a priority for the Fire Department," she added.
Phoenix police said they're keeping the community safe by making sure certain divisions are fully staffed including their patrol unit.
Additionally, the department has been leveraging new technology to make up for the lack of manpower.
Some of the new additions include cameras, license plate readers, and gunshot detectors.
City leaders will go over the latest numbers during a public safety meeting on Wednesday.
