In cities across America, the rise in violent crime is clashing with fewer police officers. From Philadelphia to Portland to Los Angeles, pandemic-weary officers and police have become disillusioned over calls to separate from the police after the murder of George Floyd, at the same time soaring murder rates and shootings. Departments are scrambling to recruit in a tight labor market, as well as rethinking what services they can provide and the role police should play in communities. Many have transferred senior officers to patrol, disbanding the special teams built over decades for traffic enforcement, narcotics, vice and canine units to keep up with 911 calls. Los Angeles, which is down from its pre-pandemic staffing to more than 650 officers, closed its animal cruelty unit and reduced its human trafficking, narcotics and gun details and 80% of its homeless outreach teams. reduced to .