FRESNO — A statewide police shortage has brought a surge in demand for cadets graduating from training academies, with top law enforcement officials unabashedly lining up to court rookie cops.

Most of the 89 cadets who graduated this past week from the Basic Police Academy at the State Center Regional Training Facility in Fresno already have positions waiting, officials said. But they still used the graduation ceremonies to pitch job offers to whomever was listening.

“We don’t have as many shootings,” Mariposa County Sheriff Jim Allen told cadets after other speakers warned of the dangers of police work. “And we don’t have 100,000 people showing up next week for a motorcycle rally. For you parents out there, if you have a cadet looking for a job, send them to Mariposa.”

Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson made a blunt appeal: “If you still need jobs, talk to us after the ceremony.”

Theories varied on the reason for the shortage, though some law enforcement officials said young people who once went into law enforcement now seem to choose the military or technology fields./AP