Research into California’s police agencies shows law enforcement agencies are having experienced hiring and retention challenges.

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found:

- finding high-quality candidates has become more difficult
- more experienced officers are leaving
- average base salary for officers decreased to $110,000 in 2023

- police agencies are most likely relying on overtime to fill staffing gaps

- mandating overtime for officers could lead to low morale
- fatigued officers are not able to perform as effectively

The PPIC found that limited staff capacity has led to shifts in services or response priorities, such as deprioritizing non-criminal medical calls.

The share of female officers in California is rising. Women now make up 15.3 percent of sworn officers, compared to 12.6 percent in 2008. Looking at race/ethnicity, representation of Latino officers has increased significantly over the last two decades, while representation of white and Black officers has declined, the PPIC determined.

Story Date: May 4, 2026