Are mi pd resigning at a higher than usual rate
Executive summary
Michigan law enforcement agencies are experiencing noticeably higher turnover and departures compared with earlier years: reporting from state surveys, local news investigations, and policing journals documents an uptick in resignations and retirements since about 2020 that has left many departments understaffed and scrambling to recruit [1] [2] [3]. However, the sources do not provide a single, comprehensive statewide resignation rate to quantify “how much higher,” so claims should be framed in terms of clear increases in shortages, departures, and recruitment difficulties rather than a precise percentage change statewide [4] [5].
1. The pattern: broad evidence of elevated departures since 2020
Multiple reporting outlets and a statewide survey describe an “unprecedented” number of officers retiring or resigning since 2020, with departments large and small saying they have lost hundreds of positions in recent years and face ongoing shortfalls—Bridge Michigan documents roughly a 19% decline in officers since 2001 and about 900 fewer in the past three years, while Metro Times calls recent retirements and resignations “unprecedented” and cites departments down by hundreds of officers [3] [2]. Local reporting from WOODTV and opinion pieces also document concentrated spikes in resignations at the department level, such as two dozen resignations in one West Michigan sheriff’s office in 2022 [6].
2. Survey data show recruitment/retention problems, not a precise resignation rate
The University of Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) and related U‑M reporting make clear that recruitment and retention problems have grown: the spring 2024 MPPS found about three‑quarters of agencies report trouble recruiting and majorities of sheriffs and chiefs call retention a problem—70% of sheriffs said retention is a problem and more than 80% reported recruitment problems—yet the MPPS reports perceptions and staffing gaps rather than a single measured resignation rate across the state [5] [4] [1].
3. Drivers: pay, competition for workers, academy attrition, and political turbulence
Sources point to a mix of structural and local drivers: stagnant public‑sector pay versus private benefits, low state unemployment making other jobs easier to find, academy attrition linked to macroeconomic conditions, and internal turmoil in some agencies. U‑M analysts and local chiefs identify pay and benefits as top remedies, Michigan’s unemployment near historic lows is stressing recruitment, an academic study ties academy attrition to macroeconomic factors, and political or workplace controversies inside the Michigan State Police have coincided with high‑profile departures [1] [3] [7] [8].
4. Consequences and coping strategies reported by departments
Departments are responding with signing bonuses, sponsorships for academy training, hiring “wandering cops,” and compressing training timelines—tactics that reflect urgency but also risk, as reporting shows incidents of problematic hires and concerns about vetting when agencies are desperate to fill slots [9] [2]. Many jurisdictions also describe staffing deficits that directly affect service capacity: roughly 72% of agencies report deficits in some accounts and chiefs say workforce size is insufficient to meet demands [9] [5].
5. What the reporting cannot prove and the bottom line
The assembled sources consistently depict higher-than-usual resignations, retirements, and turnover pressure across Michigan since 2020, producing a clear pattern of elevated departures and vacancy-driven shortages [2] [3] [1]. At the same time, none of the provided documents delivers a standardized, statewide resignation rate or a year‑over‑year percentage change in resignations that would satisfy a strict statistical test of “higher than usual,” so the conclusion must rely on converging survey and reporting evidence rather than a single definitive metric [4] [5].