20 LMPD recruits graduate amid staffing shortage

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Another violent weekend where six people were murdered across the city adds to an already high caseload for Louisville Metro Police.

The department is battling a staffing shortage straining its resources, but a new class of officers will soon hit the streets of Louisville.

Twenty new recruits graduated on Monday, but the department is still several hundred officers short. Mayor Greg Fischer and LMPD Chief Erika Shields gave the oath of office for the new officers at Metro Hall.

Ricardo Zuniga was one of the recruits sworn in. He said the new officers are ready to get out and make a difference, and build trust with the communities they serve.

"I think what it's going to take to build a deeper, more beneficial connection with the community is just treating everybody with dignity and respect and remembering that they are a human being just like we are," Zuniga said.

The city has been working to recruit more officers for years amid increasing retirements and relocations. It has also increased pay for LMPD officers and offers several types of hiring incentives.