Principles of a Comprehensive Recruitment, Hiring, Promotion, and Retention Strategy

Law enforcement agencies across the country and the communities they serve have confronted extraordinary changes and challenges over the last several years. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, high levels of street violence, and widespread erosion of trust in law enforcement brought on by several high-profile killings of civilians by police officers, police agencies continue to experience high attrition rates as well as drastic downturns in the number of police officer recruits. The field must confront the drivers of this crisis with innovative approaches and dedicated resources. But where to start?

Our greatest resource is the policing field itself. Specifically, we can turn to agencies that are currently pursuing unconventional and innovative solutions to recruitment and retention of officers while simultaneously delivering on their promise of improved public safety, reduced crime, and improved quality of life for officers and the community members they serve.

 In addition, communities across the country are re-envisioning how law enforcement agencies address public safety needs, including first responses to situations such as mental health crises, drug overdoses, and other noncriminal calls for service. It is imperative that agencies take advantage of this changing landscape and reflect on how identifying, recruiting, selecting, retaining, and supporting a different profile of recruits and officers can serve the current staffing needs of the agency as well as emerging needs and expectations of the community. Taking the changing expectations and emerging priorities in policing seriously will encourage the development of important guidance regarding how to effectively address current recruitment and retention challenges.