Schwener claims the city is "burning our officers out right now with overtime," and that the city needs an additional 10 to 20 officers a figure he said he derived on his own from conversations with police officials.

The city last month swore in three new Davenport police officers, who join seven new officers sworn in late April and four new hires who recently started their 16 weeks of training at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy to become Davenport police officers.

Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski said the department had another five or six vacant positions it hoped to fill from retirements and resignations, and continue to actively recruit, offering sign-on bonuses, relocation assistance and incentives for military veterans.

Law enforcement agencies across the country have experienced a wave of retirements and departures and are struggling to recruit new officers following civil unrest and protest across the country over the killing and deaths of Black and brown people at the hands of law enforcement that has sparked calls for reforming or defunding the police, which have taken their toll on officer morale, Sikorski has said.

While noting recruiting struggles, Dickmann said she does not believe hiring more officers will help reduce crime on a large scale. Rather, she said she supports hiring more civilian staff in support roles to free sworn officers from clerical duties, as well as efforts like the Good Neighbor Project, city code enforcement and Youth Assessment Program. The latter,run by Family Resources, is aimed at connecting youth and families to preventative behavioral and mental health services to lower juvenile crime.

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In Davenport's Ward 2, the incumbent focuses on investment, while the challenger focuses on public safety - Quad City Times