TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas police chief says recent shootings involving law enforcement officers are reducing the number of people applying for openings in his department.

Topeka Police Chief James Brown says in the past when his department announced 15 to 20 openings it would get 700 applications, but in four recent testing dates only 250 applied.

He told The Topeka Capital-Journal more young people would be interested in law enforcement if not for the current “turbulent times.”

The August shooting death of Michael Brown in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson sparked tensions and led to a Justice Department report that found patterns of police discrimination against blacks.

On Tuesday a white officer in South Carolina was charged with murder after he was video recorded fatally shooting a fleeing black man.