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 program aims to build relationships with athletes who may be searching for a post-football career and to allow troopers to appear on TV, raising awareness for the agency
Police overtime spending outpaced the department’s overtime pay budget by $33 million, or 44%, last fiscal year, which ended on June 30
By maintaining a positive attitude and embracing unique skills, Gasparini explains how female officers can excel throughout their careers
“This is still not appropriate for your commitment to public service and willingness to put your life on the line,” Mayor John Whitmire said. “But it’s a step in the right direction…”
”...It’s going to be a while till we get to 128,” Lancaster Police Chief Richard Mendez said, referencing the new number of budgeted positions, down from 145
The change drew a thumbs-up from the deputies’ union, but it’s a plan that relies on volunteers to cover shifts
The current scoring showed recruits passing the Test of Adult Basic Education 79% of the time; with the updated requirements, the passing rate would decrease to 41%
“To just up and leave like I did, it bothers me. But it is just what I felt was in the best interest for myself, and I had to do that,” former Police Chief Travis Bryant stated
Through an agreement with Commonwealth University, state police cadets can earn 20 credit hours toward a criminal justice degree program
The policy is turning off young officers from applying and preventing the department from making lateral hires, said Larry Calderone, president of the city’s largest police union
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