Staffing challenges continue to burden the Auburn Police Department, according to Police Chief Matthew Androsko, who spoke this week about the department’s manpower issues during an appearance on Inside Government.
While the department has brought in six new recruits, Androsko said they don’t yet count toward staffing levels because they’re still undergoing field training.
“We’re still relatively short,” he said. “Those six in the academy can’t apply for overtime. And some of the officers have been getting stuck with forced shifts for months.”
Long ramp-up time
New officers must go through 18 to 19 weeks of field training after graduating from the police academy — meaning they won’t be fully deployed until early next year. Officer Luke Lukowski, one of the new hires, joined the interview to share his experience in training and how the process helps officers apply what they learned in real-world scenarios.
“They ride with a training officer on different shifts — day, evening, overnight — to understand the range of calls we respond to,” Androsko added.
Future retirements add pressure
The department expects to lose another officer to retirement by early 2025, leaving it three officers short. The city recently administered a civil service test and received 35 applicants — but only 14 passed the physical exam. Background checks, polygraphs, medical evaluations, and psychological screenings still await.
“We’re hopeful, but we know it takes months to go from a test to having boots on the ground,” Androsko said.
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