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For years, every police conference, report and panel has hammered on about recruitment and retention best practices, especially when it comes to Gen Z. Yet at too many career fairs, the reality still looks the same: two tired cops standing behind a table of keychains and water bottles, hoping the next generation will somehow be inspired. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley explores how one big-city agency is finally breaking out of that pattern — blending modern marketing, faster testing pipelines and smarter academy support to turn interested prospects into successful officers.
Today’s guest, San Francisco Police Department Captain Sean Frost, is a 20-year veteran whose roots are in street-level policing — patrol, fugitive recovery and investigations — and now leads SFPD’s recruitment efforts. Backed by the mayor’s office, the city’s innovation team and private-sector partners, Frost is piloting new strategies to find qualified candidates, support them through the academy and field training, and compete for both entry-level and lateral officers in a high-cost, highly scrutinized urban environment.
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Tune in to hear
- How recruits were washing out in driving and firearms — and what finally shifted the numbers
- What it looks like when a department tells candidates “Apply right now and test in the next 48 hours”
- Why a six-figure bonus couldn’t lure officers away, but a little-known pension rule could
- How a retired football coach is out-recruiting veteran cops on college campuses and reshaping SFPD’s pipeline
Key takeaways from this episode
Recruiting Gen Z requires more than a table of freebies. SFPD is replacing the traditional career-fair booth with targeted outreach, on-the-spot testing and fast follow-up — a strategy that aligns with what Gen Z expects and improves conversion.
Academy choke points can quietly drain your talent pipeline. Emergency driving and firearms proficiency were responsible for a third of SFPD’s academy attrition, mirroring national trends among new recruits with limited driving and firearms experience. Pre-academy preparation, red-dot optics and structured remediation offer practical, scalable ways to keep qualified candidates from washing out.
Speed is a recruitment advantage in today’s law enforcement market. By combining physical testing, oral boards and prescreening into one session, SFPD compresses months of hiring into a single day. This accelerated process reduces drop-off, keeps candidates engaged and helps agencies compete with departments that offer immediate hiring decisions.
Long-term pension strength beats big one-time bonuses. While some agencies push large signing bonuses to attract laterals, SFPD leverages a pension structure exempt from California’s PEPRA limits — offering higher multipliers and a higher pensionable income cap. For officers planning a full career, these long-term financial benefits often outweigh short-term incentive checks.
A broader applicant pipeline strengthens hiring and retention. SFPD now courts laterals, academy-graduate applicants and internal talent like cadets and PSAs, creating multiple paths into the department. The addition of professional recruiter Coach George Rush has expanded campus outreach and built a true pre-academy internship program that better prepares candidates for success and improves long-term retention.
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