NCJ Number
232275
Date Published
2010
Length
152 pages
Annotation
This monograph synthesizes research about promising practices for recruitment and retention in law enforcement based on empirical studies.
Abstract
Maintaining the police workforce level is continually one of the greatest challenges facing law enforcement agencies. The purpose of this monograph is to summarize for police practitioners lessons evident on recruiting and retaining diverse, effective workforce levels. It provides a means for local officials to identify what has been tried elsewhere and what might be applicable in their own communities. Following an introduction, chapter 2 introduces the recruiting and retention challenges confronting police organizations, using the metaphor of a bucket to delineate the issues and circumstances involved in understanding the problem and changes in the organization context of policing. Chapter 3 summarizes what is known about retaining personnel, and chapter 4 highlights lessons about recruiting personnel. Retention was discussed first to highlight three facts: (1) it is far more costly and time-consuming to recruit an officer than to retain one; (2) improving retention can alleviate the need to recruit; and (3) retention issues are frequently overshadowed by discourse about recruitment. The final chapter of the monograph summarizes the most promising recruitment and retention practices based on current research. Figures, tables, and bibliography