East Haven (AP) — East Haven's police chief says something must be done to stop town police recruits from bolting to other departments.

Chief Brent Larrabee has seen 26 officers of his 53-person force leave during his two years on the job. The New Haven Register reports Larrabee told local police commissioners Tuesday that officials must stop a pattern of new recruits completing training on the city's dime and immediately transferring elsewhere.

Larrabee says a 2011 state law repealed a requirement that police recruits serve municipality that paid for their training for at least two years. He says it costs about $100,000 to train a recruit.

East Haven police have dealt with several controversies in recent years, including the convictions of four white officers charged in a federal investigation of mistreatment of Latinos.