Law enforcement

Law enforcement agencies deal with decrease in applicants

Over the last few years some law enforcement agencies in the area have been dealing with a similar problem, a lack of applicants. But since the recent acts of violence against police officers, one police chief says the issue has only gotten worse.

Portage Police Chief Ken Manthey tells NBC15 agencies from Columbia County to Sauk Prairie to his very own department have been dealing with the drop in interest. He says he first noticed the decline a couple of years ago. In years past, on average, they would receive 90-120 applicants but for their two most recent openings, they only received 40 applications.

Chief Manthey believes it has to do with the recent events against police agencies and the anti-law enforcement attitude seen across the country.

A perception he says agencies have had to deal with in the past.

"The pendulum swings back and forth. After 2001, after 9/11, the support we got was incredible, but knowing that wouldn't stay that way," Portage Police Chief, Ken Manthey, said. "When I started in 1977 I saw the pendulum the other way, we still had the anti-government and anti-law enforcement, that we were pigs, we were hated, so now its unfortunately going back that way."