The annual DARE Camp and National Night Out in Arkansas City are being canceled due to a shortage of police officers, Chief Dan Ward told city commissioner on Friday, and school resource officers are needed on patrol. Ward said he doesn’t have the staff resources to support those programs this year. … “We are facing a staffing shortage, and that is increasing daily,” Ward said. Ward said he has 16 patrol officers but six are currently unavailable, or 37.5 percent of the local force. Three officers are in training at the academy and will not return to patrol until late October.
(Read more: Cowley CourierTraveler)
