Portland, OR, police are struggling to fill officer vacancies as recruits wash out during probation at about double the rate they have in the past, reports the Oregonian .
The bureau currently has 75 unfilled officer positions.
New Oregon Police Recruits Failing Probation at High Rate
Portland, OR, police are struggling to fill officer vacancies as recruits wash out during probation at about double the rate they have in the past
March 13, 2019
The bureau hired more officers from mid-2016 to mid-2018, but more of them are flunking out of the state's basic police academy or failing to make it through Portland's 18-month probation period, Assistant Chief Chris Davis said.
Twenty to 25 percent of those recruits didn't make it through probation successfully and are no longer working for the bureau, compared to the more typical 10 to 15 percent drop-out rate, according to city figures.
The failed recruits couldn't perform on the job, had problems multi-tasking or making good decisions under stress during field training, Davis said. Others decided on their own that the job wasn't working out for them or were terminated due to misconduct, he said.
The city provided funding for 55 new Portland police officer positions for this fiscal year, bringing the sworn officer force to 1,001. But the bureau has only been able to hire 22 new officers.
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