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 proper administration of justice...has been and will continue to be threatened due to the Philadelphia Sheriff Office’s systemic failures to properly staff courtrooms,” the order states
“We have over 100 [officer] vacancies...,” said Sacramento Sheriff’s Sgt. Amar Gandhi. “Those vacancies do not negate our responsibility to fulfill the work those positions require”
The 2025 pilot program was announced in an email from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, Charlotte FOP President Daniel Redford said
A 46-recruit class marks the third of the year, bolstered by pay raises, bonuses and fast-tracked promotions for new recruits aimed at reversing Cleveland’s officer shortage
“At the end of the day, I have a family. And when my job is constantly getting threatened, I’m not going to stay somewhere and tolerate that,” a former McColl officer said
Last year, MSP paid out nearly $8.5 million in overtime; on average, troopers made $27,636 in overtime pay, with one trooper earning $127,600 in overtime alone
“By surpassing our recruitment goal, we’re adding…dedicated officers ready to address the evolving needs of California communities,” Commissioner Sean Duryee said
Sheriff-elect Eric Kirsch is rewriting the playbook for small-town law enforcement with a bold approach and a commitment to community
National Law Enforcement Foundation founder Jim McKay said that the Idaho center is part of an effort to reinvigorate policing after the profession was “villainized”
The measure also establishes a $1 million death benefit for families of officers killed in the line of duty
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