AUBURN — The Auburn Police Department has reached “critical” staffing levels due to nearly a dozen officers unable to work and several vacancies, according to Police Chief Jason Moen.

The department is at 75% staffing, he said. At full force, it would have 55 officers.

There are four vacancies, and nine officers are unable to work for various reasons, including long-term medical leaves and training. Two additional positions are frozen, bringing the shortfall to 15 officers, he said.

After Lewison approved a significant pay raise in November, four Auburn officers took positions at the Lewiston Police Department.

“They created some substantial pay increases, enough to take some of our more experienced officers,” Moen said.

He also pointed to challenges law enforcement agencies across Maine and the U.S. have faced hiring officers in recent years as a reason for the department’s shortage.

Due to staffing, the school resource officer stationed at Auburn Middle School was pulled early this year, and a second officer at Edward Little High School was reassigned to patrol duty last week. The department has similarly pulled officers from other task forces and specialty positions to staff patrols.

“We have to shrink everything back to patrol because patrol is the priority on making sure that we’re answering our emergency calls,” Moen said.

Despite their efforts, officers have been working “quite a bit” of overtime, some of it forced, to meet the city’s policing needs, he said.

Moen said the department will work with city councilors and the police union to increase pay, aiming to be more competitive with area departments and attract qualified officers.

“We’re seeing some interest from officers out of state looking to relocate to Maine,” Moen said, noting three recent hires have come from outside Maine, and a fourth is expected to join the force soon.

In two months, the department plans to add two officers who are in training. Another three will graduate from the academy in May.

“There’s relief on the horizon, it’s just right now everything’s tight to get there,” he said.