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
The Broward Sheriff’s Office currently staffs the facility 24 hours a day but says critical shortages and safety concerns make continued operations unsustainable
The goal isn’t to give female officers an advantage — it’s about leveling the playing field
The ordinance enables the city’s police and fire chiefs to extend their participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program by an additional three to five years
Recruit Officer Christopher Katz was visiting the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynn County, Georgia, and was off-duty at the time of the accident
Seattle officers start at $103,000, a salary point that PERF Director Chuck Wexler stated “feels like you’re an MLB team recruiting a star player”
By combining thoughtful digital marketing with streamlined processes and reimagined career pathways, agencies can overcome the recruitment crisis
The department’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal shows that between recruiting shortfalls and attrition, leaders expect to maintain a force of about 8,620 officers
Dr. Tanya Meisenholder explores how the 30x30 Initiative is reshaping police recruitment, retention and culture to create new opportunities for women in law enforcement
Wellness
The agreement ensures any cop catastrophically injured in the line of duty, regardless of years of service, can receive 75% reimbursement for health insurance under the plan
The event, scheduled for February 18-20, will explore innovative strategies for recruitment, retention and cultural change
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