NCJ Number
210483
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 29 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 50-52,54,55
Date Published
June 2005
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article highlights the challenges of police officer recruitment and presents some solutions implemented throughout the country.
Abstract
Many of today’s police officers are baby boomers who were hired after their service in Vietnam. Now at retirement age, these police officers are exiting police duty en masse, leaving some departments stretched thin on police officers with very few applicants waiting to take their positions. The policing industry has experienced trouble with recruitment for the past few years due to negative publicity about policing work and a rebounding economy with a strong private sector. Creative marketing tactics in Denver and the use of movie theater trailers by the Los Angeles Police Department are described as the new wave of police recruitment efforts, which have come a long way from simply running an advertisement in the local newspaper. Recruitment is about more than attracting qualified applicants, it is also about supporting applicants through the vigorous application process. Innovative strategies are highlighted that assist police applicants through the physical training and through the background check process. Finally, the importance of flexibility in the police recruitment process is underscored, as today’s applicants do not look like the applicants of yesterday; requirements and protocols must change as society changes. Exhibits