MT. VERNON — The Mt. Vernon Police Department could face a “critical” staffing shortage in 2020. Mt. Vernon City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel says that possibly 10 of the city’s 30 patrol officers could leave for other police employment or for National Guard deployment in the first six months of the new year.

Bechtel says it may require school resource officers to be temporarily taken out of schools to be put into patrol.

Mt. Vernon Police Chief Trent Page says the patrol division is the heart of the police department. He says the department is already having detectives and other department leaders head out on patrol calls because of the short staff.

The city swore in three new officers Thursday, but they will not be ready for patrol until late summer. Bechtel said a new round of applicant testing will likely happen next fall.