FLORENCE (AP) — A north Alabama police department is scaling back services because of a lack of personnel.

Florence Chief Ron Tyler outlined the department’s personnel issues Wednesday at a meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee.

“Staff is not available due to sickness, injuries, retirements and military service,” he said. “We have 26 vacancies now, or that will occur soon.”

Tyler said he dissolved the Traffic Division and parked its motorcycles because of a lack of officers. He said the department will no longer perform funeral escorts.

Beginning Oct. 1, he said, funeral escorts will be performed only at the request and expense of a funeral home, and must be done with three off-duty officers. If three off-duty officers are not available, the request will be denied, he said.

The biggest problem the department faces in recruiting new officers is the pay scale, he told the committee.

Florence pays about $9,000 less in rookie pay than neighboring Muscle Shoals. Tyler said Muscle Shoals buys firearms for its officers, but Florence officers must provide their own weapons.

The Police Department is allotted 110 sworn officers, but has only 80, Tyler said. More than 20 officers are either on medical or military leave, or are planning to retire in the coming year.

“We have become a reactive police force, instead of a proactive force,” he said.

Tyler asked the committee to consider increasing the pay scale, providing officers with a sidearm, and increasing other benefits to make the job more appealing.

Councilman David Bradley, chairman of the Public Safety Committee and a former police officer, said any changes must occur as part of the budget process. He said new sources of revenue may be needed.

City departments are going through annual budget hearings in advance of the start of the Oct. 1 fiscal year. It’s not clear whether pay issues will be addressed in the budgets.

Bradley said the Fire Department is experiencing similar problems.

Calvin Durham, a member of the Civil Service Board, said when candidates for police officer are interviewed, they typically know which departments offers better pay and benefits.

Civil Service Board member Scott Morris said Florence is at a disadvantage with its pay and benefits.

“Put yourself in an applicant’s position,” he said. “Why would you come to work in Florence instead of Muscle Shoals?”

In Tyler’s comparison of the two departments, he said Muscle Shoals offers more money for uniform allowance, the retirement and related benefits are more generous, and pay scales are higher.

He said some departments, such as Chattanooga, Tennessee, offer bonuses to officers who recruit new officers.

“The problems I’m talking about are not unique to our department,” Tyler said.

One solution Tyler is proposing is making departmental openings permanent instead of periodic, and becoming more flexible with testing for applicants.

It costs $35,000 to recruit, test and train an officer through the police academy, which takes nine months, he said.

Tyler also proposed the elimination of two deputy chief positions through attrition, and the elimination of one lieutenant and one sergeant position. That would save $360,000, he said.

“The bottom line is, our officers need a pay raise,” he said.