PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A new analysis of city finances has revealed that the Phoenix Police Department spent a staggering $98 million in overtime during the past fiscal year, an expense driven mainly by the department’s ongoing staffing shortage.

At a recent Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting, city officials confirmed the department is currently short about 500 officers. This shortfall has forced many officers to work extended hours to meet minimum staffing requirements.

“It just seems like at some level, we’re desperate,” one city official said during the meeting.

Darrell Kriplean, the president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA), said the effects of the staffing gap extend beyond financial strain.

“If someone doesn’t fill those shifts, they go unfilled a

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