30% of RI State Police Recruits Have Already Quit New Academy

30% of RI State Police Recruits Have Already Quit New Academy

The great resignation is hitting law enforcement in Rhode Island.

30% of the new class of recruits who started the State Police Academy in mid-March have already resigned.

The Rhode Island State Police was significantly understaffed and this class of the academy was intended to close some of the gap.

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Lt. Colonel Darnell Weaver told GoLocal on Monday that “everyone has their reason for leaving.”

Of the 47 who began the academy on March 14 —  14 have left the class — de facto resigned.

Moreover, the class that only had three women, is now down to just one. 

More concerning is that this academy is only in week four and still has 19 more weeks in the 23-week school.

Weaver said, "We are always evaluating the academy as necessary.

But, the State Police may be facing a societal trend of employees and trainees quitting.

"Falling birth rates, slowed immigration, record retirement, an exploding gig economy, and the workforce as we know it is hungry for talent. In America alone, there are 11 million vacant positions and only 6.5 million people to fill them. Suddenly, we’re in the middle of a talent crisis. Employees have unprecedented leverage, and the Great Resignation as we know it is just beginning," writes Fast Company.