From attracting qualified candidates and telling an authentic agency story to streamlining hiring processes and building long-term career pathways, departments are rethinking how they recruit and retain the next generation of officers. Police Recruitment Week explores how agencies are modernizing recruitment, with practical insights for leaders navigating staffing shortages, community expectations and the realities of building a sustainable workforce.
FEATURED CONTENT
By reminding viewers that every officer was once a child with a dream, the Eau Claire Police Department is inspiring both future applicants and those already wearing the badge
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Fresno PD’s cadet program allows candidates as young as 18 to train, assist with non-emergency duties and prepare for entry into the police academy
Wellness
The Chandler Police Department’s Baby at Work program allows new parents who work inside the station to bring children ages six weeks to six months into the office with them
A supervisor and three instructors were charged with involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors said boxing-related training led to the death of Trooper Enrique Delgado-Garcia
From scene response to report writing, AI has the potential to assist patrol officers — if agencies build the right guardrails
How outdated hiring systems, long timelines and staffing losses are pushing agencies to rethink recruitment — and what AI means for police leaders navigating that shift
A young officer explains how leadership failures — not pay or recruiting budgets — are driving morale and retention problems in small town policing
The 30x30 Initiative works with law enforcement agencies to recruit, retain and advance women officers by improving hiring, promotion and workplace practices
Deerfield Beach city councillors who voted in favor of the split from the Broward Sheriff’s Office cited the potential for cost savings of up to $500M over 20 years as the reason for the switch
The funding request of $25.9 million includes resources for two 72-person training academies and would support the addition of 100 new troopers
The inspector general said major incidents drove heavy overtime use at NOPD, but inconsistent oversight and budgeting raised concerns
ABOUT THE SPONSOR: eSOPH by Miller Mendel
With a primary focus of turning past practices used by city, county, state and federal government agencies into modern, efficient, and cost-effective digital solutions, Miller Mendel (MMI) has been creating category-leading systems since 2011.
eSOPH by Miller Mendel is a secure, cloud-based, pre-employment background investigation software system designed specifically for public safety agencies. Used by hundreds of agencies nationwide, eSOPH has been credited with cutting the time it takes to process a pre-employment background investigation by up to 50%, saving agencies significant time, money, and resources without sacrificing investigation quality.
eSOPH by Miller Mendel is a secure, cloud-based, pre-employment background investigation software system designed specifically for public safety agencies. Used by hundreds of agencies nationwide, eSOPH has been credited with cutting the time it takes to process a pre-employment background investigation by up to 50%, saving agencies significant time, money, and resources without sacrificing investigation quality.
How to use recruitment messaging and leverage new technology to attract, hire, onboard and retain top talent