'They’re desperate': Former San Francisco cop Joel Aylworth discusses police recruitment crisis on 'Fox & Friends'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The January 12 episode of 'Fox & Friends' had former San Francisco police officer Joel Aylworth join co-host Steve Doocy to discuss why police departments across the country are facing staffing shortages.
The conversation took place in light of the Alameda, California Police Department reportedly offering recruits a signing bonus of $75,000 and a starting salary of $113,654.
While the starting bonus is the highest in the country, the salary is more than what officers make in major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, the department is still struggling to meet its objective.
The anti-law enforcement rhetoric
According to Aylworth, one of the reasons why candidates are not lining up for recruitment is the anti-law enforcement rhetoric that "has been building up for over 10 years."
"I can remember back in Occupy Wall Street, that's like almost 15 years ago, where this anti-police, vitriolic narrative has been being pushed on and on," he stated.
The negative rhetoric has come from both sides of the political aisle and has been a cause for concern for all law enforcement officials from small-town departments to FBI agents, reported Fox News.
The rising cost of living
Potential recruits are also being driven away by the high cost of living in certain states, Aylworth told Doocy, sharing how his $200,000 salary was not enough in San Francisco.
"I told my wife, ‘We will never be able to afford a home here’ because I just can't catch up," he said, later adding, "The pandemic really opened people's eyes that they can move to states like Texas, have a better quality of life and make pretty much similar money."
Losing the purpose
Aylworth claimed there is a lack of motivation for Americans to become cops at present.
He blamed it on a shift in the duties performed, explaining, "Instead of ‘go out and catch the bad guy,’ they're being told, ‘go move the homeless.’"
"And there's so much oversight at all the departments right now from complaints to the DA that they feel very restricted. Their purpose is being diminished daily," he added.
California lowers recruitment requirement
At one point, Doocy stated that California has lowered the required physical fitness standards for police recruitment. The state is also allowing non-citizens to sign up, but that does not include illegal immigrants.
"They’re desperate," replied Aylworth, as he recalled his superiors say that the country had to get a handle on the hiring problem years ago.
Alyworth also shared that people are more interested in alternative professions, which provide more money and no life risk. "I think there's a lot of benefits to not being a police officer, and that's why these guys aren't chomping at the bits."
