The Las Cruces Police Department said they need more officers to fight crime, but over the past couple years, applications have been lacking.

LCPD Lieutenant Jeremy Story told KFOX14 the department is 60 officers short of being fully staffed. This does not include the upcoming officers who are getting ready to retire.

The hiring bonuses currently being offered by the department to fill this void, are thousands of your taxpayer dollars.

KFOX 14