The city has deliberately reduced the size of the police force in the last two years as a budget cutting measure, both by eliminating positions and holding vacancies open. Mayor Catherine Pugh clearly needs to rethink that policy, but it may take more than that. The decline in the department's staffing comes at a time when officials are redoubling their recruitment efforts, particularly with an aim to get more city residents on the force. The department held 29 recruiting events in the city in 2016, up from 12 in 2015, though less than 20 percent of the force currently lives in Baltimore, down slightly from the previous year. Mayor Pugh has suggested added incentives to get people to join the force and live in the city, and we certainly support those efforts. But the department also needs to consider its advancement and retention policies so it doesn't continually serve as a training ground for officers who decamp for the suburbs when they gain some experience.