The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has its sights set on Texas in order to reach possible candidates amid a staffing shortage.
Throughout the month of September, the SFPD will be visiting four college campuses in Texas and placing recruits through a written and physical test, along with conducting an interview with the candidates, a spokesperson confirmed to The San Francisco Standard. The recruiting campaign comes as part of an effort to address staffing shortages as the department has been faced with paying officers millions in overtime hours.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D-Calif.) has faced criticism for continued budget cuts to the police and sheriff’s departments.
“We want to be part of the solution, but time and time again, the mayor seems to block the sheriff from doing that,” Ken Lomba, the president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association told NBC Bay Area.
‼️🚨SFPD IS COMING TO TEXAS🚨‼️
— SFPD Recruitment (@JoinSFPD) September 6, 2023
Come join the San Francisco Police Department for ONE DAY TESTING!
For any questions about this event please contact us by phone, email, or DM. Hope you can make it!! #sfpd #joinsfpd #police #sanfrancisco #sf #california #ca pic.twitter.com/2IbL0zJWsp
Texas Southern University in Houston, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Prairie View A&M University, and Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi are the universities the SFPD will be visiting.
A spokesperson for the SFPD told the outlet that they have received roughly 2,104 applicants so far this year, a 20% increase from the 1,756 applicants the department received last year.
Breed revealed a plan in July 2020 that would cut $120 million in funding from the sheriff’s and police departments after the death of George Floyd. Despite efforts to defund the police, after property crime increased, the police department budget increased.
“When we say our budget is a reflection of our values, this is what we’re talking about,” Breed wrote in a post on X at the time. “Reforming our criminal justice system must go hand-in-hand with policy changes and budget investments to make our city more equitable.”
Other police departments across the nation such as the Prince George’s County Police Department in Maryland have been faced with recruiting outside of the continental United States as they face continued staffing shortages.
The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department placed recruiting advertisements on buses and subways in New York City.
IJR reached out to the San Francisco Police Department but did not hear back by the time of publication.