Law enforcement agencies across the country are experiencing staffing shortages, and Hampton Roads is no exception.

New recruits are in short supply.

News 3’s Leondra Head spoke with the Chesapeake Police Department during their recruiting efforts at a Chesapeake City Town Hall Tuesday night.

"We have just about 40 vacancies for sworn police officers in Chesapeake," Chesapeake recruiting police officer Dupree Foster said.

The Chesapeake Police Department is offering competitive pay.

"The base salary right now is $51,000. If they have an associate's degree or bachelor's, they get extra money on top of their salary each year," Foster said.

Head asked Foster why several police departments across the nation are facing staffing shortages.

"I think a lot of it has to do with the national climate with law enforcement. I’ve been recruiting for five years. It’s changed drastically over those five years," Foster said.

Foster said the social climate has played a large role in staffing shortages across the nation.

"The killings and things that have happened across the nation," he said. "I’ve heard some people say their family members have said they shouldn’t do it because of the national climate or the things they see and hear."

Hampton Roads police departments are seeing vacancies in the double digits. The Norfolk Police Department has 209 vacancies to fill. The Newport News Police Department has 50 vacancies. The Virginia Beach Police Department has 121 vacancies, that includes 34 sworn vacancies and 87 vacancies in the patrol force. The Hampton Police Department has 41 vacancies. Virginia State Police has 250 vacancies.

Read more from our media partners WTKR.

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