Families and loved ones cheered as 15 recruits graduated from the Albany Police Academy Friday morning.
The ceremony comes as the department faces a shortage of 45 officers. City leaders have noted the police department's reliance on overtime as it struggles to meet the demand for service.
Police Chief Brendan Cox said, as the new officers prepare to begin their careers, the department is working on retention efforts.
“We want to make sure officers know that there are places to go within the department, that there's movement, so that way ... they recognize that there's a career path here," he said. "So there's a lot of things we need to do when you're not fully staffed to ensure that everybody is taken care of, so it's a challenge.”
The graduating class entered the Albany Police Academy in November.
