The Arlington Police Department is being forced to change how they deliver service due to funding issues and staffing shortage.
As previously reported, the Arlington Police Department is struggling finically, Arlington county was one of the districts to freeze law enforcement’s merit-based pay increases for FY2021 and FY2022. Coupled with the nationwide anti-law enforcement narrative pushed by the left has as massive shortage of labor in the Arlington police department, as they cannot find new recruits and don’t have the money to keep current law enforcement officials from seeking higher wages elsewhere. (RELATED: Arlington police groups advocate for higher pay ahead of budget talks)
In response to the lack of labor, Police Chief Andy Penn announced the following changes to it’s services.
- Reports of applicable nonemergency criminal activity that are not in progress can be reported online or by phone (703-228-4300) in lieu of an in-person officer response. All submissions to the online reporting system are reviewed by an officer and once approved, an Arlington County Police Department official report number will be issued.
- Reduced investigative follow-up on some property crimes, particularly when the YouTube message on the service changes lacks solvability factors.
“Officers will continue to respond to in-progress crimes and emergency calls for service where there is a threat to life, health or property,” Penn said.
While they are making these adjustments, Penn insists that the department remains committed to:
- Maintaining operational readiness and preparedness to respond to any public safety incident that occurs in Arlington.
- Ensuring the orderly flow of traffic in the county while conducting transportation safety enforcement and education campaigns.
- Engaging and building partnerships with those we serve.
- Proactively recruiting qualified candidates to join upcoming academy classes with the ultimate goal of returning the department to full staffing as soon as possible.
Only time will tell if these changes are able to provide some relief and allow these officer the time they need to do their job.
