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Detroit Police Officers Association President Mark Diaz says that the department is losing officers faster than it can hire new ones. Diaz says that although the department has hired just under 800 police officers since 2014, the city has lost more than 800 in that same time period, according to the Detroit News .

In 2014, there were about 2,000 police officers in the DPOA but there are just 1,624 in the union now, Diaz said.

Diaz said that the department has lost an average of 4.5 per week — many of whom bolted to other cities for higher pay and better benefits.

The union and city are negotiating to extend a contract that expires in 2020. The union is seeking the restoration of holiday pay and sick time that were lost when the city filed for bankruptcy in 2013.

"The city has to stop looking at DPD as a training ground for other police departments," Diaz said.