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
Discover how engaging applicants and streamlining processes can significantly improve the quality of recruits and their fit for the profession
30x30 initiative, other LE organizations address misguided blame in response to Trump rally shooting
“Statements blaming this shooting on efforts to promote gender equity are disingenuous at best and deeply dangerous at worst,” the statement said
U.S. citizenship as a pre-requisite could be removed for first responder jobs
“It gives individuals one site to go to where they can look for jobs, versus going to individual departments and looking at their websites,” said Vandalia Police Chief Kurt Althouse
Since 2021, the Bellingham Police Department has been staffing only its patrol and investigations divisions, which are key to answering 911 calls and solving serious crime
Amid increasing scrutiny and declining morale, here is a vision of hope for today’s law enforcement crisis
The partnership will help connect departments with qualified candidates, leveraging the high-energy world of motorsports to drive awareness
Our experts weigh in on the top essential tools rookies need to ensure efficiency, comfort and safety on the job
Closing two Oakland police academies would save the city approximately $3.5 million; freezing 78 officer positions would save about $23 million
"[The psychologists] were...making decisions on candidates we would have otherwise said gave acceptable responses,” Chief Larry Scirotto stated
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