Editor’s note: This article is part of Police1’s Police Recruitment Week, which provides resources and strategies for police agencies to improve their hiring initiatives. Thanks to our Police Recruitment Week sponsor, eSOPH by Miller Mendel.
By Captain Eric Hood
For decades, law enforcement agencies depended on a reliable pipeline of recruits to fill patrol and investigative roles. But that model is breaking down. The number of officers per capita has steadily declined over the past two decades, leaving fewer personnel to tackle increasingly complex cases. [1] Meanwhile, retirements are accelerating, recruitment pools are shrinking and generational shifts in career values are making policing a less attractive profession.
These converging pressures demand more than incremental reform — they require a fundamental reimagining of how investigative capacity is built, sustained and modernized.
Generational changes in the workforce
The growing recruitment challenges in law enforcement began long before 2020, which has often been perceived as a tipping point because of the murder of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic. As early as 2010, researchers forecasted a growing challenge in police recruitment. [2] Now baby boomers who entered policing during hiring surges in the 1990s are retiring in large numbers. [3] Fewer young people are interested in pursuing law enforcement careers, citing negative public perception of law enforcement. [1] Generational attitudes about stability and loyalty have shifted to an emphasis on flexibility, work-life balance and independence. Additionally, the younger generation finds it difficult to work the same career their entire life with the promise of a good pension. [1]
These recruitment challenges ultimately filter into investigative units, which are often staffed by experienced patrol officers. As departments face a shortage of sworn personnel, investigative assignments become inherently constrained. Staffing levels, burnout and turnover become self-reinforcing problems. Clearance rates for violent crimes have not improved in decades despite advances in DNA testing, digital forensics and geolocation technology. Technology alone has not overcome the labor shortage, and in many cases the tools add to workloads rather than reduce them. How can we expand investigative capacity with a smaller sworn workforce and improve violent crime clearance rates from their current levels?
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Solution: Rethinking investigative capacity
If traditional models where agencies primarily staff investigative units with sworn personnel are no longer sustainable, agencies must find new means of investigating cases. This means moving beyond the assumption that sworn officers are the only individuals capable of contributing to criminal investigations.
Some agencies have begun to integrate civilian investigators into their organizations, but for many this has been a stopgap measure to allow detectives to redeploy to patrol or other units due to vacancies. Rather than continuing to repeat the past, there are four primary means to improve investigative capacity and case clearance rates of investigative units that should be considered: Digital volunteers, internet sleuths, machine learning algorithms and expanding collaborative partnerships.
Digital volunteers
One option is to expand the role of digital volunteers, which would be individuals either from the internet sleuth community or tech-savvy computer users who seek volunteerism through nontraditional means. Many agencies already use volunteers in community patrols, chaplaincy programs and administrative support. These models could evolve into specialized programs where volunteers assist with data review, open-source research or cold case analysis. Properly trained and supervised, volunteers could extend the reach of detectives without assuming enforcement responsibilities. Additionally, retired officers could be ideal candidates to help bridge knowledge gaps due to the outflow of expertise we are currently experiencing.
There are several examples of retired investigators who volunteer their time working cold cases. A prime example is the Carolinas Cold Case Coalition, a nonprofit group of volunteers who help law enforcement on cold cases and unsolved violent crimes anonymously. [4]
Internet sleuths
A second option is implementing a structured program using internet sleuths. The growth of true-crime communities has demonstrated both the promise and dangers of civilians openly engaging in investigative work. When successful, sleuths have uncovered new leads, helped identify potential suspects and drawn attention to cold cases. There are numerous examples of successes in crowdsourcing information and open-source investigations that give some credence to internet sleuths’ techniques. [5]
However, when poorly organized or having ill intent, they have also misidentified suspects, sparked conspiracy theories and spread misinformation. If agencies create vetted, structured programs for sleuths, including training, oversight and defined guidelines, they could transform an informal phenomenon into legitimate investigative support.
AI to solve crime
A third option is to integrate technology to replace redundancy and improve investigative outcomes. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are increasingly capable of pattern recognition, link analysis and anomaly detection, which have been adopted in real-time crime centers and fusion centers. These systems can assist investigators by narrowing large volumes of data or flagging inconsistencies. However, technology must be seen as a force multiplier, not a replacement. Tools alone will not solve clearance rate problems unless integrated into proven investigative strategies.
Although technological investment has shown limited promise in improving crime clearance rates in the past, [6] artificial intelligence has the potential to disrupt investigative technology as we know it. [7]
Partnerships
Lastly, agencies should expand interagency, regional and cross-sector partnerships. For instance, real time crime centers often use public-private partnerships to allow businesses to remotely share their surveillance feeds to assist the police. Many crimes, particularly those with digital or financial dimensions, exceed the expertise or resources of a single agency. Law enforcement has made strides in sharing information through government and private platforms like CrimeTracer (formerly COPLINK), the FBI’s National Data Exchange (N-DEx) and NCIS’s Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LInX).
Although these platforms are useful, they are limited compared to new tools being introduced that use artificial intelligence. Typically, agencies facing some of the highest crime rates have some of the most limited access to investigative resources. If we care about crime clearance rates as a profession, we must encourage policy makers to invest in proven methods at the national, state and regional levels. Otherwise, our siloed approach to solving crimes and maintaining the status quo regarding crime clearance rates will persist.
Risks and challenges
Reimagining investigative capacity carries significant risks. Volunteers and sleuths, if not properly managed, can spread misinformation or compromise sensitive information. Questions of civil rights, privacy and chain of custody must be addressed through strict guidelines. Agencies must guard against liability by establishing clear roles, confidentiality agreements and oversight mechanisms. Although there are obvious risks, internet sleuths have effectively assisted law enforcement and reignited cold cases with new leads. The most widely known case where internet sleuths played a critical role in either identifying suspects or gathering evidence was that of Luke Magnotta, who posted videos of himself killing cats and later murdered a man. [8] Another prominent case involved two gay men beaten in Philadelphia where social media users scoured social media posts, ultimately identifying and leading the police to the suspects. [9]
Cultural resistance within policing is another obstacle. Many officers and detectives are skeptical about integrating civilians into units staffed by traditionally sworn personnel. Overcoming this skepticism requires demonstrating how these approaches can reduce workload, improve clearance rates and preserve investigative quality. Alternatively, a virtual investigative assistant could be one solution. For instance, TRULEO has designed an agentic artificial intelligence platform automating workflow and help solving cases, including AI-powered witness interviews and case summaries. [10]
Budget considerations are also real. While volunteers may reduce personnel costs, building secure digital platforms, training programs and supervision systems requires investment. Leaders must balance the short-term expense against the long-term gains of preserving investigative capacity. This is where it is important to move away from a siloed approach to solving crime and toward giving public policy makers options to break down silos within the profession and between police and the people they serve.
The road ahead
The path forward requires both innovation and caution. Agencies should begin with pilot programs that test structured volunteer and sleuth integration. Starting with cold cases or digital open-source analysis reduces risk while demonstrating proof of concept. Integrating some retired officers as volunteers could help offset hesitancy and ensure expertise is retained within these units.
Secure collaboration platforms must be developed to manage participation. These platforms should allow vetted participants to access redacted case materials, submit findings and receive feedback under agency supervision. Transparency and audit trails are critical to protecting sensitive data. These platforms would be most effective at a regional or state level.
Agencies should invest in training supervisors to manage hybrid teams that include sworn detectives, civilian personnel and volunteers. Building the capacity to effectively manage a diverse group of contributors is important to the success of any investigative unit. Within these team platforms, artificial intelligence and collaboration among agencies should be implemented to maximize human labor and make connections that may not be readily apparent to investigators.
Finally, law enforcement leaders must embrace scenario planning. The workforce crisis is unlikely to be resolved on its own and will only accelerate. Agencies should plan for futures where traditional staffing continues to decline and explore how alternative patrol and investigative models could be implemented.
Conclusion
The shrinking police workforce is a reality that cannot be ignored. Clearance rates will not improve without taking risks and innovation, including expanding the role of volunteers, creating structured pathways for internet sleuths, integrating technology wisely and breaking down silos. With these added approaches, investigative units can adapt to the workforce challenges of the 21st century. The alternative is to cling to outdated models and watch clearance rates decline further, eroding public trust and undermining legitimacy. Rethinking investigative capacity is necessary to adapt to our ever-changing environment.
References
- Police Executive Research Forum. (2019). The workforce crisis, and what police agencies are doing about it.
- Wilson JM. (2012). Articulating the dynamic police staffing challenge: An examination of supply and demand. Policing. 35(2):327-355.
- Baker D. (2025). The state of police recruitment and retention: A continuing concern. Lexipol.
- Beck M. (2021). How a group of active and retired homicide investigators anonymously solve cold cases. A&E.
- Wilson H, Samuel O, Plesch D. (2024). How digital sleuths can strengthen human security. In: Wilson H, Plesch D, eds. Open source investigations in the age of Google. World Scientific Connect.
- Garicano L, Heaton P. (2010). Information technology, organization and productivity in the public sector: Evidence from police departments. J Labor Econ. 28(1):167-201.
- Epstein B, Emerson J. (2024). Navigating the future of policing. Police Chief.
- Cremona P. (2024). Don’t f**k with cats true story: How online sleuths unmasked cat killer Luka Magnotta. RadioTimes.
- Li S. (2014). Social media sleuths help track down hate crime suspects. The Atlantic.
- Police1 Staff. (2025). TRULEO releases AI analyst: A virtual assistant for police chiefs. Police1.
About the author
Eric Hood began his career as a school safety officer at California’s Long Beach Unified School District in 2007, working patrol there before transferring to the state of California as an investigator in 2012. In 2014 he transferred to the Department of Insurance’s Fraud Division, where he worked as an investigator on complex multimillion-dollar cases involving medical providers. His largest case included the charging of 26 individuals by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, including 21 physicians in a $40 million kickback scheme. In 2019 Hood was promoted to sergeant, overseeing a team of investigators. In 2020 he was promoted to captain of the Inland Empire Regional Office, where he is still currently assigned. Hood has been the face of the Fraud Division, appearing on multiple news media outlets, and has managed several highly publicized investigations, including Operation Bear Claw, which received international media attention. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, Sacramento, and his master’s degree in public policy from California State University, Northridge.
