Troops can’t save struggling cities — here’s what leaders must do instead

Calling in the National Guard and federal law enforcement isn’t a solution — it’s a signal that the system has cracked. Chicago is learning the hard way what happens when outdated police hiring practices collide with political cuts. Since 2019, more than 2,100 police positions have been eliminated, while the city added layers of bureaucracy. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) still has 795 unfilled vacancies, compounded by 833 position cuts under Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and 614 by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The result: President Donald Trump is now sending in the National Guard to cover gaps created by years of slow hiring pipelines, endless vacancies and deliberate downsizing.

Memphis tells the same story. The city’s police force is at its lowest level in two decades, leaving patrols thinner, response times slower and detectives drowning in unsustainable caseloads. Temporary federal surges can help in the moment, but they don’t rebuild a police force or restore long-term safety. National Guard troops aren’t trained to investigate murders, de-escalate volatile domestic calls, or build trust with residents. Their presence is proof of failure, not a strategy for success.

The problem is deeper than just headcount. Police hiring itself is outdated. A national survey found that the single biggest reason applicants walk away isn’t pay — it’s bureaucracy. Paper applications, months-long background checks and silence from recruiters leave motivated candidates in limbo. By the time departments finally respond, those recruits have already taken jobs elsewhere. A broken process is bleeding away willing officers.

CHICAGO COPS STRUGGLE TO STAFF STREETS AS TRUMP PRESSES ON CRIME

Too many agencies have responded by lowering standards. Illinois, Kentucky, New York and Texas are all experimenting with rolling back requirements in a desperate attempt to fill cars. That’s a terrible gamble. Watering down qualifications erodes professionalism and undermines public trust. The badge is not just another job — it’s a profession that demands skill, discipline and community confidence. Americans don’t want a lower bar; they want qualified, trained and committed officers.

There’s a better answer. The private sector fixed this problem years ago. Applicant tracking systems now manage hiring pipelines in every industry — streamlining paperwork, keeping candidates informed and moving qualified applicants through quickly. If retailers can process thousands of job applications in weeks, there’s no reason it should take a police department months to onboard a recruit. Agencies that use these tools can boost their applicant pool, resulting in fewer dropouts, better communication and more academy seats filled. Those that don’t will be stuck in a cycle of attrition.

Tennessee shows what it looks like when leaders take hiring seriously. Republican Rep. John Gillespie’s H.B. 1445 invests directly in recruitment, while Governor Bill Lee has committed $175 million to strengthen public safety across the state. That money isn’t just going to short-term troop surges — it’s aimed at modernizing how police departments hire and retain people. Tennessee is showing that the future of public safety depends on building stronger pipelines, not relying on soldiers to fill in the gaps.

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Meanwhile, communities are paying the price when cities refuse to adapt. Longer 911 wait times mean crimes in progress are left unchecked. Overloaded detectives miss leads, which delays justice for victims. Stretched patrol shifts leave neighborhoods vulnerable. This isn’t abstract — it’s the daily reality in cities like Chicago and Memphis where under-staffed, burned-out officers can’t keep pace. Residents feel the difference every time they dial 911 and wait.

Here’s the bottom line: Troops in the streets are a last resort for a reason. Chicago proves what happens when hiring lags and politics cut deeper into the ranks. Eventually, soldiers replace cops. The fix isn’t more deployments; it’s smarter, faster hiring pipelines that rebuild departments with the officers communities deserve. Until cities modernize recruitment, they’ll keep repeating Chicago’s mistake: losing cops to red tape and replacing them with troops.