MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minneapolis Police department is facing what some are calling the "Silver Tsunami."
"This is the start of many more people being able to retire," Minneapolis Police Officers Federation President John Delmonico said, referring to what could be a massive wave of retirements on the force.
Currently, Minneapolis has 820 sworn officers policing the streets. It also has is 50 officers eligible for retirement with full benefits; and as many as 150 eligible to go in early retirement.
Adding that up means 200 people could walk this spring. That's nearly 20 percent of the force.
"It's unpredictable and there is no requirement that you must give us a four month notice or anything like that. They can walk in today and it's their last day," Minneapolis Police Deputy Chief Travis Glampe said.
The likelihood of 200 officers leaving at once is slim to none, but the possibility leaves quite a bit of room for uncertainty.
"I get asked every day by the cops, by the community, by the media, what's going to happen? We don't know," Delmonico said bluntly.
What makes the possibility even more threatening is the fact that officers' retirement laws governing their pensions will change July 1.
The change will make early retirement less attractive after that date, so those who want to retire early may choose to go in the next four months.
"We are hoping by May 1, we will have a really good grip on how many people we are going to have walk out the door," Deputy Chief Glampe said.
By conservative estimates, if 50 officers choose to retire in the next four months; that would put Minneapolis at 770 sworn officers.
Delmonico says that would be the lowest level in 26 years.
Deputy Chief Glampe says the administration of the MPD is well aware and training future officers in the academy now.
More than 500 others applied weeks ago to start the process. But the process, start to finish, takes 20 months and in those months, the number whittles down tremendously.
A full recruit class is 34.
"That's why this is so difficult," Deputy Chief Glampe said.
In 2014 the department says they will tackle at least four classes of recruits.
The best case scenario allows for around 120 new officers. But again training in 2014 means they swear in the following year.
It's an inexact science with uncertainty running strong.
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges says the city has budgeted a little more than $146 million for 2014 to get MPD's sworn ranks up to 850 officers.
In a statement about these looming retirements Hodges said, "Minneapolis is a safe city. For years, we at the city have been preparing for retirements, making sure we have the officers necessary to continue keeping the city safe. There is no 'magic number' when it comes to keeping the city safe, and I have confidence in Chief Harteau and the Minneapolis Police Department on their efforts to recruit and hire the officers Minneapolis needs."
