MT. VERNON (WSIL) � The Mt. Vernon Police Department is preparing for a potential officer shortage.
The department could lose up to 10 officers in just a few months to National Guard deployments and opportunities at other law enforcement agencies.Â
Police Chief Trent Page says the department is already short-staffed, and detectives are picking up patrols while also handling investigations.Â
“Just because we have to focus on the homicide investigations, what’s going on with those. We see an increase in overtime related to our investigation side as they continue to work these homicide investigations.�
Mt. Vernon Mayor John Lewis says the situation is a challenge.Â
“I applaud them for serving the country, but it does put the city in a position where we’re getting overtime trying to staff these positions while these officers are gone,� explains Lewis.
Chief Page says the department will pull high school resource officers to fill some positions while they works to find more officers.
