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
One oversight board member fears that changing department structure may cause officers to “jump ship,” leaving the force with even fewer officers
“I think it shows people how desperate all these police departments are,” a police union leader said. “I’d like to see the city be a little bit more desperate, too”
Of those surveyed, 74% worry they will become crime victims, 90% are dissatisfied with the state of public safety and 71% said the city needs more officers
The jump in potential recruits comes after the maximum application age was raised from 29 to 34
“The days of handing a recruit a badge, a gun and then going on some training runs are over,” Jacksonville PD Chief Adam Mefford said
“You can get done with a shift, maybe it was a stressful shift. ... The best way to decompress is go out canoeing, hunting or fishing,” Police Chief Chad Houde said
Union leaders expressed gratitude for city leadership’s “strategic investment” in rebuilding the LAPD with benefits in its new contract
Police and city leaders are working to outsource “minor” calls to free up officers’ schedules, as well as creating new wellness programs for them
“We’re looking for folks to interact with the public on quality-of-life issues,” Public Safety Chief Karrie Howard told council members
The department will have recruiting tables set up at each of the team’s three December home games
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