Michigan police departments are still having a difficult time finding new officers.

People just don’t want to become cops, and it’s a problem for departments all over. Michigan Sheriffs Association Deputy Director Daniel Pfannes says there are a few reasons why it’s so hard to recruit police officers.

“One, we still have some residuals of the ‘Defund the Police’ movement that’s going on,” Pfannes said. “We’ve got a lot of bad publicity, unwarranted bad publicity, by the way, that’s floating out there that’s still hurting us.”

Pfannes says the state is helping with some new grants. His comments were made at the FBI National Academy’s Michigan Chapter meeting on Mackinac Island recently.

The Michigan Sheriffs Association represents sheriff’s departments in all 83 Michigan counties.