Interim Chief Dominic Choi acknowledged LAPD recruitment struggles in an interview with NBC Nightly News, saying larger workloads have contributed to low officer morale and forced residents to wait longer for police services. Staffing shortages have also led to more officers working overtime in L.A. and other cities, further stretching budgets.

That “slippage” in response times, Choi said, was particularly evident for non-emergency calls, which have climbed from “about 20 minutes upward to 40 minutes, up to an hour.”

"I think if we had about 12,000, we would be well-staffed,” Choi said, echoing a number that former Chief William J. Bratton cited in 2002 as the minimum the department needs to properly patrol the city.