Since 2004, Atlanta police have typically been 200 officers short of being fully staffed, the city's internal auditor told City Council members Tuesday. City leaders say they want more officers on the beat, particularly as crime rose in most major categories last year.

The History

Atlanta leaders for years have been talking about putting more police officers on the city's streets. Bill Campbell pledged while he was mayor during the 1990s to have 2,000 officers on the force by the year 2000. It didn't happen. In 2004, the department released a reorganization plan that set a goal of 2,000 police officers. The department has nearly 1,800 officers currently, but that total includes at least 100 recruits, many of whom are in training.

The Solutions

• You're hired: Councilwoman Carla Smith asked during Tuesday's Public Safety Committee meeting if the city should relax its requirements for recruits. City Auditor Leslie Ward said exit interviews given to departing officers offer few clues as to whether some recruits quit because they can't meet the physical requirements or if other factors were involved in their decision.

• Stop the revolving door: About 9 percent of the force left last year; nearly 11 percent left in 2006. Auditors say the vacancies are attributed to lags in recruitment, particularly in 2005 and 2006, and increasing numbers of officers leaving the department. Auditors suggest the police department ask departing officers more questions about why they're leaving the force.

• Money, Money, Money: Auditor Leslie Ward said in an interview Tuesday that the city should discuss whether the strategy of paying officers more money to work in Atlanta is the cure to its retention problems. New Atlanta police officers start out at around $40,000 a year, depending on their education. Although some police officers complain the city hasn't followed through on promises to pay them more, exit interviews done in 2006 show one-half of the officers who left that year went to jobs that paid the same or less.