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
Voters passed Proposition U, which set the “unprecedented” minimum staffing goal, and Proposition S, which could allow citizens to sue the city if the goal is not met
The City Council approved a new three-year contract with the Sterling Heights Police union that also includes double-digit pay increases and a boost in medical benefits
NYPD
The survey, which gathered responses from 1,823 officers, showed nearly a quarter of respondents wanted to leave the department “as soon as a feasible opportunity arises”
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat stated that the lack of paid overtime options has cost the department at least 60 employees
With young talent at the wheel, the possibilities are endless
Book excerpt: Recruitment & Retention of Gen-Z Law Enforcement Officers
One trend specific to Gen Z officers is early onset of stepping into leadership roles, which signals a need to instill leadership qualities in recruits from day one of the academy
There are a thousand reasons to say no, but what if saying yes changes everything?
El Paso Sheriff Joe Roybal said his department remains fully staffed in spite of low pay because deputies “feel heard [and] appreciated” due to the agency’s positive culture
Officers unable to return to full duty after 251 workdays will be given a choice to apply for a reclassification, take a leave of absence, seek medical retirement or resign
IACP leaders and city officials address the pressing issues of recruitment, retention, and community trust while celebrating Boston’s legacy as a pioneer in modern policing
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