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“Our recruiting for police officers is actually ahead of schedule,’ Harris said. “So ahead of schedule we actually have to amend the budget like we’re doing with this bill to fund another lateral police academy class.”

A third academy would bring APD closer to full staff. The force is expected to grow from just over 850 to 980 within nine months, Harris said. The city budget authorizes more than 1,000 officers, and “if everything goes just right” APD could reach that number within a year.

Mayor Tim Keller has said that he wants to expand the department by 400 officers over the next four years. In a news release, Chief Michael Geier said the proposed additional funding would help the department meet its goal of hiring 100 officers during this budget year.

According to a news release, $3 million from the general fund is available from excess gross receipts tax revenue received at the end of fiscal year 2018.

“Public safety is consistently our top priority and when we have excess GRT funds, like we do now, we always want to ensure that we are funding public safety and community policing efforts,” Borrego said in the release.

Officer Simon Drobik said Sunday that lateral officers bring years, sometimes decades, of experience with them.

“Those guys will be role models for the younger guys,” Drobik said. “They already come in with such a wealth of police experience that they can go right into the field.”