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       Police departments are struggling to hire new cops Police departments across the country are struggling to hire new cops and it’s now forcing cities to get creative. The Phoenix Police Department is looking out of state to fill more than 300 open positions. Its raising annual salaries, offering hiring bonuses and turning to social media to help entice newcomers. Everything from politics, to the job market and overall lack of interest is to blame, officials say.

       An Atlanta police officer crashed a police vehicle through a gate Thursday to get to a driver whose car fell 40 feet into a ravine, authorities said.

       Officer Jimmy Cenescar was responding to an accident call on Marietta Road around 1 a.m. when he came upon a witness screaming about a driver in trouble down an embankment, the Atlanta Police Department said.

       ATLANTA OFFICER HIT BY CAR ON HIGHWAY WHILE INVESTIGATING CRASH: ‘OFFICERS PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE’

       A car in Atlanta fell down an embankment. (Image obtained by FOX Atlanta)

       "Officer Cenescar found a gravel driveway leading to the area where the car had landed, but the drive was blocked by a locked gate," an APD statement said.

       Cenescar asked a supervisor for permission to use his patrol vehicle to break through the gate.

       "While the gate caused extensive damage to the patrol vehicle, it was the fastest way Officer Cenescar knew to access the vehicle and assist anyone who was injured," police said.

       An Atlanta Police officer crashed a gate to get to a motorist whose vehicle fell down an embankment. (Image obtained by FOX Atlanta)

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       Once he got to the driver, the officer began rendering first aid.

       Images of the accident show the driver being placed on a stretcher before being taken to a hospital. He was listed in stable condition.