In case you haven’t noticed yet, local law enforcement agencies are facing a hiring crisis at the national level. From small New England towns to major West Coast cities, officers are serving in departments that feel increasingly shorthanded, tired, and overextended. The staffing crisis you may be feeling in your own briefing room is not an isolated problem; it is part of a larger national pattern that is as spiritual as it is operational.
In Bristol, Connecticut, for example, Chief Mark Morello describes staffing as “a bad crisis,” understaffed with vacancies, multiple officers on injury leave, and others on light duty. To keep basic patrol operational, he is suspending the crime suppression unit, pulling staff officers back to the road, and reassigning school resource officers from summer youth activities to regular patrol. In addition, the department has already launched recruitment campaigns and is now relaxing its tattoo policy to remove one more barrier for otherwise viable candidates.
Across the country, LAPD is facing a drastic staffing decline of its own. The department has fallen well below its historic deployment levels, and projections suggest it could lose hundreds more before major global events like the Olympics arrive. Specialized units have been trimmed or reconfigured, response times are lengthy, and city leaders are locked in debates over how to balance public‑safety needs with budget constraints and political scrutiny.
See the problem?
Agencies across the nation, of varying sizes and cultural identities, are experiencing the same crisis. We are trying to serve faithfully with fewer officers by disbanding specialized units and popular community services to cover basic patrol calls. All this, as we confront a shrinking interest in law enforcement as a career. This is no longer just a “recruiting problem”; it is a full‑blown workforce emergency that affects morale, public trust, and the health of the officers who remain. It’s a crisis of “meaning and morale” as much as a crisis of “numbers.”
So, how can we, as Christian officers, respond? We are, after all, called to bring something deeper to the table. We have an opportunity here to represent Jesus and reflect a Christ‑centered resilience that can withstand understaffing, public criticism, and organizational stress.
Let’s recover our calling and identity in Christ
First, we cannot allow the decreasing popularity of our profession to define our identity, purpose, or value. When fewer people are willing to join our ranks due to the increasing suspicion people feel toward law enforcement, it’s tempting to lose your confidence or sense of valued purpose. Make no mistake about it, the crisis we are experiencing is a crisis of meaning. We are now serving under suspicion, in communities that no longer presume our good will.
For us as believers, the antidote is to recover our calling. We are not just filling a vacancy or doing a job. We are answering a divine assignment to bear the sword with justice and mercy. When our identity is rooted in Christ rather than staffing charts or approval ratings, criticism becomes endurable and sacrifice becomes meaningful, even when no one says, “thank you.” So, how do we accomplish this identity shift? Begin by refocusing your worship toward the God who is greater than anything we might face or achieve. Our identities are not determined by our career paths, challenges, promotions, or on-duty achievements. We are, instead, defined by the God who created us for this moment. We must simply remember who we are.
Let’s pursue resilience rather than resentment
When important units disband, mandatory overtime increases, and summer community programs are cut so SROs can cover patrol, it is easy to grow cynical. It’s in times like these when officers must remember that trauma, pressure, and disappointment can either define you or refine you. Some officers learn how to grow stronger and more faithful after hardship (what researchers call “post‑traumatic growth”) when they anchor their story in Christ. How do they do this? They pray rather than complain, taking their frustration to God instead of repressing it or spreading it as gossip. They ask, “How can I become more like Christ in this shortage?” rather than “When will someone finally fix this for me?” They choose to serve sacrificially, even when the schedule is unfair, because Christ first served us at the cross.
Each of us will certainly face poor leadership or bad policy at some point in our careers; there’s not much we can do about that. But there is something we can do about how we respond in these situations. Resilience is not pretending the trauma of this season doesn’t hurt; it is facing it, absorbing it, and still writing the next chapter in our story with Christ.
Let’s lead spiritually where we can’t lead organizationally
Most of us don’t have the power or authority to single‑handedly rewrite our city’s budget or recruitment strategy, but as Christian officers, we can lead spiritually in our buildings and patrol cars. In this difficult season, we must remain the beacon of hope in each of our agencies, prioritizing the Word of God over the politics of man, remembering that loyalty to Christ comes first.
If you’re a Christian police officer, remember to remain calm and become the prayerful presence at your agency when everyone else is venting or fuming about the situation we’re in. Consider forming or strengthening a prayer circle, Bible study, or meetings with exhausted officers. Model contentment and worship in the middle of challenges, reminding others that God is not surprised by this season and still sees every quiet act of faithfulness.
When a small city like Bristol suspends a crime suppression unit and pulls SROs back to patrol, and a huge city like Los Angeles watches numbers drop toward historic lows, the headlines focus on risk and need. But for us as Christian officers, this moment is also an invitation. It’s time for us to rediscover calling, cultivate Christ‑centered resilience, and become the hopeful spiritual leaders our agencies need. We have an opportunity here to represent Jesus and reflect a Christ‑centered resilience that can withstand understaffing, public criticism, and organizational stress. Share on X
To dive deeper, here is my interview with Frank Turek about the importance of Law Enforcement:
Here is my interview with Bill Arnold:
Also, if you’re a police officer and you haven’t yet trusted the Savior who is the “Caller” behind your “calling,” there is no better time than now. The guidance and protection of God is available for anyone who seeks Him.