Speaking on WTOP today, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said that the Metropolitan Police Department had gone below the 3,800-officer threshold. In recent years, Lanier and other officials have warned of increased danger to residents if police staffing fell below this level.

We’re at 3,830, but 100 of those are in the academy. We’re below 3,800 on the street. I said this was coming.

It takes a year to get a police officer ready for full service. We’ve had 11 washouts so far of a class of 100. We also wash out a lot before they get to the academy. That’s better for us to identify the people who are joining for the wrong reasons.

We’ve added a polygraph test. I’m not going to try to meet a number and sacrifice quality.

I sounded the alarm for 3,800 two years ago. It’s harder for me to do what I have to do. I have to be creative, and sacrifice things to make up for other things.

Late last year, Mayor Vince Gray announced that he had identified funding for 300 new recruits.

The issue of how many police officers the District need has always been a contentious issues—though not necessarily one based on sound science. As the Post’s Mike DeBonis reported last year, there isn’t a specific formula for determining how many police officers a specific city needs.