Amid the federal government’s takeover of D.C.’s police department and the use of federal agencies for additional crime fighting activities in the nation’s capital, the union representing U.S. Park Police officers said the additional work is coming in the face of a staffing shortage.
“Right now, the United States Park Police are at the lowest that I’ve ever seen,” said Ken Spencer, chair of the U.S. Park Police Fraternal Order of Police. “It’s just not sustainable, and we’re not going to be able to keep up with that.”
U.S. Park Police not only covers the National Mall, but also some local national parks and parkways, including the George Washington Parkway, Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Suitland Parkway.
Spencer said over the past decade, the staffing levels have decreased and departures in recent weeks have resulted in the agency only having 294 sworn officers to cover the D.C. region and 498 officers in total, nationwide.
Spencer said the diminishing police force is due in part to a lack of competitive pay for officers, which impacts the attrition rate of the police agency.
“The last time we had a structural change to our pay was 1999, and we have these younger officers that are motivated to do law enforcement, but they’re walking out the door every day,” Spencer said.
He said the department loses anywhere from 35 to 55 officers a year, and last year only nine new officers made it through the training academy.
“With increased jurisdiction, increased responsibilities, increased rate of crime, and it’s just not sustainable,” Spencer said.
Adding to the struggle has been the deployment of other federal police forces in D.C., according to Spencer.
“Officers are continually working upwards of 18-hour shifts all the time, and then they’re coming in on their days off just to fill patrol backfill for regular patrols that have to be met on a daily basis,” he said.
Spencer said a study in 1999 showed that the department needs just over 800 officers, but he said despite that finding, the department has seen a decline over the past decade. It’s an issue Spencer said the last several administrations have been aware of but have done nothing to remedy. He said this includes the current administration.
“Saying that you support us is vastly different from actually taking action to make this place better and boost our morale and … the staffing crisis that we have right now,” he said.
Spencer said he’s urging the White House and Congress to boost funding for the department so new officers can be hired and they can better keep their current officers. He said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican representing New York’s 11th District, has introduced a bill to address pay concerns, but it’s not clear if the support is there for the measure.
Spencer is concerned that a lack of action could lead to the agency’s demise.
“My fear is that this agency is going to implode, or it’s going to be vastly different than what it is right now,” he said.
WTOP reached out to the U.S. Park Service and did not receive a response on the data surrounding the shortage and if it is impacting the agency’s ability to perform its typical and additional duties in the D.C. region.
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