The head of the U.S. Park Police Union says that families should rethink plans to visit some San Francisco beaches and recreation areas this holiday weekend, because of a shortage of police officers.
Spencer said at any given time, there could be as few as three officers on patrol.
Spencer said the major issue is recruiting and retaining officers and the biggest barrier in the pricey Bay Area is a $68,000 starting salary, which is about $25,000 less than starting pay for a San Francisco police officer."I came with my kids, and I sometimes wonder if they go nearby someplace that's not safe, is there someone there to take care of them or not. So, that's definitely a concern,” Chakraburty said.
Most beach regulars who spoke with NBC Bay Area Wednesday said they weren't aware of the U.S. Park police staffing issues and, weren’t much aware of the department.
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