As the city of Baltimore struggles to fill some 600 open positions, some officers question whether the remaining resources are enough to adequately protect the city.
In the city’s northeastern police district on Wednesday, two police officers were scheduled to patrol the afternoon shift.
“The people in the city are not totally aware of how many officers are actually on the street,” said retired officer Daryl Buhrman, who is president of the Police Benevolent Association.
“A lot of people like to exaggerate our staff shortages,” said BPD Commissioner Richard Worley on Thursday.
To help fill the scheduling gap in the Northeastern District, BPD required seven other officers to work overtime on Wednesday.
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Four other officers volunteered to work overtime.
“We can supplement with overtime. We can move people from specialized units or from other parts of the city,” said Worley.
Officers who are drafted to work overtime, however, are only allowed, by contract, to work four hours beyond their shifts, not the entire eight hour shift.
According to the President of the Fraternal Order of Police, the demands on officers are growing greater.
“Without a competitive wage throughout a career, the BPD will never be able to recruit or retain officers,” said FOP President Mike Mancuso.