SAN ANTONIO – The latest cadet class for the San Antonio Police Department started training Monday during a dangerous time for the police force.
In recent months, four officers have been shot in the line of duty, including two fatally.
Channing Hill is among the 51 cadets from Class 2017C who hope to make a difference on the streets of the Alamo City.
"It does concern me, but that's something that we realize when we sign up for this position. That's a possibility that could happen," Channing Hill, a cadet, said.
"It is very dangerous anytime you approach somebody to make a contact; to make a stop," Police Chief William McManus said. "The worst thing could happen, and we've just seen that. We've seen that twice in the past few weeks."
Related: SAPD investigating third officer-involved shooting this month
McManus, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and City Manager Sheryl Sculley welcomed the cadets on their first day of training. Despite the dangers, the city has been able to find plenty of recruits willing to make the sacrifice to keep citizens safe.
"Departments around the country are looking for talent. We're no different, and we've benefited by having a great department that already exists to bring them in," Nirenberg said.
The department is facing a shortage of 161 officers. The new class will reduce the number of vacancies to 110 if all the cadets graduate from the seven-month training program.
Sculley said she is proud to see the department continue to make strides in adding women. When Sculley arrived in San Antonio in 2005, about 3 percent of officers were women. The number has risen to 10 percent, but Sculley thinks the city can do better.
Related: SAPD officer wounded in NW Side gun battle
"Our department is very racially diverse. It reflects the community that we serve," Sculley said. "And we know that one area where we need improvement is more women within the ranks and in the upper ranks."
The makeup of the cadet class includes 44 men and seven women. There are 24 Hispanic, 21 Caucasian, five African-American and one Asian-American.
Sculley said she plans to ask for more officers in the new budget that she will present in the coming weeks.
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