Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox spoke at a community meeting Tuesday night and said their department is short staffed.

Chief Cox said Albany Police is short 83 police officers from its usual 342.

“I’ve never had a staffing shortage like this. It’s a host of issues, some of which are national but it’s a host issues that we have to overcome,” Cox said.

Albany Police is now being aggressive in their hiring process holding an open house at their headquarters this Saturday from 12 to 3 p.m. for anyone interested in becoming a police officer.

“So, one of the things that we’ve tried to do over the past couple of months is having open recruiting,” Cox said.

Chief Cox said 2025 marks the first year the police exam is being offered twice throughout the year compared to previous once a year.