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
Dallas HERO is urging the city to show progress toward hiring the 900 officers the police department needs to be in compliance with Proposition U
More can be done to fill today’s vacancies than just recruitment
Built on pride, purpose and self-leadership, this video is inspiring the next generation to serve
The bill offers first-time homebuyer assistance with $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance for qualified law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS providers
Jay Ross, who played for the Green Bay Packers during their 2010 Super Bowl-winning season, will now supervise the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office SRO program
Set to Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us,” the West Memphis PD’s video has led to recruitment inquiries from Canada to Africa
Since 2022, the reality TV docuseries has provided an unfiltered look at law enforcement in action, offering transparency, boosting community trust and even helping agencies attract recruits
The event commemorates the 50th anniversary of the National Policing Institute’s 1974 report, “Women in Policing: A Manual”
With more than 100 troopers nearing retirement, Minnesota State Patrol’s LETO program is filling the gap with recruits from diverse career backgrounds
The Fort Worth Police Department created its “diss track” in response to a Dallas Police recruiting billboard installed in Fort Worth
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