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
SFPD attributes the increase to recent recruiting incentives, such as increased starting pay, a shortened hiring process and free one-day testing events
“Having a legal drug become a barrier to increasing law enforcement seems like it’s a bad policy,” a county official stated
The change allows departments to hire transfer officers while they are still employed by another department, allowing for easier lateral transfers
“Cadets” will document an academy class’s six-month training journey; it will be released on Jan. 17
“Not a single council member has approached me and asked if I was looking for another officer,” Chief Bill Drollinger said. “They haven’t given me the clearance to make a hire — and I don’t believe they will”
“When [the patrol officers] come in, they’re energetic, more engaged, ready to hit the road and get work done,” one supervisor said
The Fair Grove Police Department now has one fully trained officer and two officers still in field training following resignations from two other officers and the police chief
“These grants support the life-saving work of first responders and help public safety agencies to meet the needs of those they serve,” Gov. Maura Healey said
The town of South Vienna could not sustain enough full-time officers to continue having a police department
Several northeast Ohio departments will continue to screen for marijuana, as the law permits employers to bar applicants who use it
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