The Austin Police Department (APD) is making strides toward resolving its ongoing officer shortage, with Chief Lisa Davis expressing optimism that staffing levels will stabilize in the next couple of years.

The news comes after the department welcomed 29 new officers after the 153rd Cadet Class took their official oaths on March 7. Despite this progress, APD remains 340 officers short. However, Davis believes that a recently signed five-year contract with the police union is setting the department on a path to improvement.

“It’s about knowing these are the next five years,” she explains. “This is what our raises are going to look like. This is what I can plan on. I think it’s important for the officers that are here but it’s also important for the officers who are coming in,” Davis told FOX7 Austin.

She highlighted a significant boost in recruitment, with a 164% increase in applicants. “That’s people coming in and signing up to take the written test, the physical agility test to get through,” she explained.

The department’s next cadet class, set to begin in April, has approximately 100 eligible candidates. While those numbers may decrease throughout the selection process, Davis is encouraged by the trend. “I feel very optimistic to come from classes with 30 to 50 officers to going up to a class with 100,” she noted.

With three cadet classes scheduled each year, Davis is confident that the officer shortage will be remedied within the next two years. “I think within a year and a half, two years, we should be stabilized on where we are with our numbers. I feel very optimistic about this,” she said.

In addition to recruitment, Davis hopes to eliminate backfill shifts, which require detectives to cover patrol duties due to staffing shortages. “The goal is if we can get our recruiting efforts up, and we’re continuing to put these classes out, my goal is to be done with backfill by the end of the year,” she stated.

The latest class of cadets is eager to serve the Austin community. “I want to serve the community on their most challenging days,” graduate Andrew Maestas said. Fellow graduate Tara Duran shared her motivation, stating, “I grew up in this community and raised children in this community, so I wanted a way to give back” Cadet Francisco Sada Tijerina added, “There’s probably not a better job out there than to be a police officer helping people, driving fast. You know, just the thrill.”