ABC57 INVESTIGATES: Reeling in Recruits at the Elkhart Police Department

ELKHART, Ind. -- The International Chiefs of Police surveyed 1,100 agencies and 70 percent of them reported recruiting difficulties and indicated a nearly 10 percent deficit in staffing levels.

The Elkhart Police Department is currently facing a 16 percent deficit below the budgeted staffing level of 143 sworn officers.

The city has multiple specialized units that depend on adequate staffing levels, including its own Bomb Squad.

ABC57 News Investigative Reporter Kevin Warmhold got an inside look at this explosive specialized unit.

The department is hosting an exam this Saturday, July 19.

The deadline to sign up is before midnight on July 17.