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
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Funds will help the department with technology and records upgrades, as well as support recruitment, retention and training
State senate bill tries to deal with the shortage of officers by changing only the minimum age
Police Chief David Nisleit said it’s disappointing the city hasn’t refilled many civilian police jobs that were cut in 2008, 2009 and 2010
There were 87 vacant positions in the agency as of January, which means the department is understaffed by 25%
Chief of Training Juanita Holmes said no officer is pursuing a suspect for a mile and a half
Last year, a bill was signed into law to lower the minimum age for detention deputies from 21 to 18
Currently, DACA recipients can become troopers, game wardens, COs and serve in the Wisconsin National Guard
The agency said a pay raise in 2021 and “tireless efforts from the recruitment branch” aided in gathering 103 potential new law enforcement officers in the latest class
The program is designed to help attract and retain first responders and to help them afford homes near their workplaces
Last summer, the police chief and four full-time officers resigned from the Kenly PD, citing a toxic work environment and conflict with the town manager
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