FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Police departments in the Golden State are employing 7 percent fewer officers, compared to the year prior to the Great Recession.
According to the FBI, California cities had more than 40,000 officers in 2008, but only around 37,000 in 2015.
Meanwhile, California’s population has grown in recent years, leading to a decline in rate of police officers relative to the size of communities.
Sheriff’s departments have also been slow to recover from the recession-era staffing cuts.
