Shortage of Law Enforcement Officers in New Jersey

New Jersey is facing a shortage of new officers after a wave of retirements leaving the police department vulnerable and a probability of an increase in crime. Law enforcement agencies have been struggling in recent years to fill positions that earlier would have seen a flood of candidates. This has been a national issue, a problem that many attribute to the fallout from the pandemic and the worsening public perception of law enforcement after the 2020 murder of George Floyd and other widely publicized incidents of police brutality.

“After the summer of 2020, when we had the protests and calls to defund the police, large cities across the country started to see this difficulty in hiring,” said Brian Higgins, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan and a former chief of the Bergen County Police Department. “Now we’re seeing that same trend in northern New Jersey.”

In the past, Paramus, a large department in the top third in the state in pay and offers a desirable schedule and opportunities, would receive hundreds of applicants for a handful of jobs. During the last round of hiring, the department had about 65 candidates for five jobs, many of which were transfers from other departments.

In the private sector, understaffing might lead to incomplete projects or reduced profits. But in law enforcement, it directly affects departments’ ability to fight crime and results in overworked officers, fatigue, and burnout. Paramus is again interviewing candidates and hopes to expand the department to 105 officers as the borough grows. The department is working to streamline its hiring process to make it less lengthy and complicated. Officers go to college fairs and community functions to recruit prospective candidates.

Englewood has waived application fees for city residents to attract more people to apply. In December, the city held a recruiting and information session for people to meet with Englewood officers and learn about a possible career in law enforcement before January’s entrance exam. The city swore in seven new officers earlier this month. It’s important to bolster the department's ranks, city officials said, as they expect more than a dozen veteran officers to retire over the next year and a half.