Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson says the department is down 115 sworn officers. Because of the staffing shortage, they have to cut back on the services his department offers the community, which is something the city can’t afford to do with the recurring violence plaguing the city.
Part of the problem, Thompson says, is that the Greensboro Police Department is losing officers to nearby cities like Burlington that are able to pay more. The chief says he has a plan, but it may sound counterintuitive.
“What I am going to ask is that the council reduce my authorized strength by 30 positions,” Thompson said. “I am not a math guy, but I am pretty good with numbers. That would roughly equate to about $2 million dollars.”
Those funds could then go toward essentially giving $3,000 raises to staff across the board.