If United States Census data is to be believed, Cranberry Township stands to see nearly 20,000 new residents in the next 10 years.

With housing developments springing up at seemingly every intersection, that increase to 50,000 residents isn’t hard to fathom.

With that growth, township officials are tasked with identifying any potential associated issues. The biggest concerns from residents tend to deal with traffic flow and infrastructure, with the township constantly undertaking studies and researching those impacts.

There are other impacts, though, that are possibly less obvious.

Last week, township supervisors approved a two-phase strategic planning effort for the police department. The project, which is not to exceed a $35,000 budget, will examine the department from a number of angles, including recruitment, career development and training.

It also will look at how to expand the department to address population growth. The department is authorized to employ 32 officers. Officials said that number would likely increase to 50 in the coming decade.

Data collection and planning will take place in the coming months, with decisions made over the next year. Officials said a similar investigation was done on township fire and emergency services, and these projects are an example of leaders being proactive instead of reactive to issues.

While addressing potential issues that are a decade away might seem excessive, it is important that township officials are getting a jump on potential staffing increases in the police department.

According to data from the Police Executive Research Forum, there has been a drastic decrease in interest in becoming a police officer nationwide.

Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that while the U.S. population has risen since 1997, the number of officers per 1,000 residents has dropped. In total, there are around 700,000 police officers in the country, down about 25,000 from just six years ago.

Data also indicate that once officers are hired, it is even harder to keep them. Some areas experience the challenge of training an officer, just to see them leave for a better opportunity. Others simply leave the career after a short period of service.

Knowing these challenges are prominent across the country, and seeing the data indicate a need for more officers as population grows, Cranberry Township officials are doing the right thing to make sure they are not caught off-guard by demands on the township’s police force.

They’re also showing that public safety is and will continue to be a priority.