OPD has 708 sworn officers, cites difficulties in recruiting

OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland police provided on Tuesday its bi-annual update on staffing levels to the City Council Safety Committee, saying they're trying to boost academy numbers.

To date, OPD has 708 sworn officers, and the budget authorizes 712. The current academy also has 14 officers set to graduate next month.

The committee also asked about reports that some candidates are being rejected for relatively minor issues, including credit problems.

"We take into consideration the good, bad and in-between, and how you overcame those issues," Human Resources manager Amber Fuller told the committee members.

Fuller said OPD is not unique in having difficulty in recruiting more people to their academies. 

The city's hiring freeze has also affected 51 non-sworn positions in the police department.

OPD's budget is $358 million for the current fiscal year and next year's budget is $364 million. 

The department is scheduled to present its proposed budget to the city administration on Wednesday.