About one half of the more than 400 recruits who graduate from Michigan's 19 police academies each year find placement with agencies, according to a WSBT report.
The state has lost more than 3,000 police jobs since 2001.
The report follows Officer David Price, who has a part time job in the Village of Sand Lake, the Village of Sparta, two different security jobs, and lives with his parents in Grand Rapids. He also makes about $10-$15 with no benefits.
When a recruit graduates from the police academy, they have one year to get a job. If they don't, they have to pay their own way to re-certify. Price estimated that with lodging and food, it cost him $1,500.