$17,000 handcuffs: The high price of joining force is too much to cop

COP COST: The police union says NSW is staring down the barrel of a shortage of officers because it's too expensive to train to join the force. Picture: AAP

NSW could face a shortage of police officers as recruits give up or move interstate because it's too expensive to become a cop, the president of the state's police union says.

Kevin Morton told the Police Association of NSW conference yesterday that the cost of training was prohibitive.