CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Cambridge Police Department wants to hire a more diverse group of officers, but it says delays in funding are slowing that down.
CPD was hoping 18 candidates would start the Cambridge-Northeastern Police Academy in the fall. But the city has delayed planned investments meant for this fiscal year, which began in July.
Jeremy Warnick with Cambridge police said in response to calls to defund the police after the death of George Floyd, funding for things like the police academy have been delayed.
"This class that we anticipated for the fall was one of the most diverse in the history of the department," he said. "A majority of those were minorities, and four of those were women."
Warnick said as of May, 37 percent of nearly 280 Cambridge police officers are minority officers.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas reports:
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