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.
What the data and the field reveal about where agencies lose candidates and how to keep them
FEATURED CONTENT
A practical, agency-wide framework that turns every sworn and civilian employee into an active recruiting force
Agencies relying on bonuses and short-term tactics may see temporary gains but lasting staffing stability comes from strategies that improve retention, reputation and community trust
A customized childcare model built for law enforcement families aims to improve retention, boost morale and deliver measurable return on investment
Integrating civilians, structured internet sleuth programs, artificial intelligence and regional partnerships may be the key to sustaining clearance rates in the 21st century
Facing staffing shortages and rising complexity, departments like Atlanta are expanding civilian leadership and professional staff roles to stabilize operations, modernize capabilities and relieve pressure on sworn officers
From paperwork to people skills, seasoned cops offer hard-earned advice for the next generation
If you’re losing applicants, stretching hiring timelines or watching academy classes shrink, this guide outlines what agencies are doing to rebuild their staffing pipeline
COMPLETE COVERAGE
Understanding how each credential shapes your coursework, career options and advancement potential
The initiative includes a new “skills-based promotional process,” the agency says, that “evaluates leadership, communication, and service history for promotions”
Union leaders say calling in outside agencies is a first for the department, which is operating with just 664 officers — the lowest staffing level in years
Under the new policy, recruits must hold a high school diploma or GED and have three years of full-time work experience
Shannon County deputy salaries have been depleted for the rest of the year; Sheriff Steven Hogan says that the spending went toward essential equipment and staff
The Hawkins PD lieutenant was fired for alleged “dereliction of duty” and “abandonment of post;” the other officers were dismissed following claims they were not properly hired
The Fairview and Mount Pleasant PDs will join to become the North Valley Police Department; the new department will operate within the existing budgets of both cities
City officials cite budget strain and low recruitment as officer ranks fall far short of what’s needed to serve California’s capital
BPD currently has 492 vacancies, but expects about 150 recruits to graduate from its academy by 2026; an expansive ad campaign to recruit officers from within the city is now in effect
Speaking 52 years after his own graduation, Lexipol co-founder Gordon Graham urged recruits to embrace pride, safety and lifelong professionalism
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