NCJ Number
205013
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 56 Issue: 2 Dated: March-April 2004 Pages: 24-28
Date Published
March 2004
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article summarizes the findings of recent research that examined recruitment and retention practices of North Carolina sheriffs' offices.
Abstract
This statewide study developed a 22-item survey that was administered to a randomly selected sample of North Carolina's 100 sheriffs. Regarding the intensity of their recruitment efforts, 27 respondents (56.3 percent of the sample) described their respective offices' recruitment practices as "neutral," and 11 agencies (22.9 percent) described their recruitment strategies as either "passive" or "somewhat passive." The remaining 10 agencies rated their recruitment strategies as "aggressive." None of the respondents indicated that his/her office had "strongly aggressive" recruitment tactics. The most frequently used recruitment techniques were "word of mouth" (93.9 percent of respondents), the "community college system" (83.7 percent), and use of an existing "auxiliary or reserve force" (75.5 percent). More than one-half of the responding offices currently have a waiting list of qualified deputy sheriff applicants. The research team identified 10 possible barriers to recruiting more qualified applicants. The three most common barriers mentioned by respondents were agency budget restrictions, competition with other criminal justice agencies, and competition with the private sector. Less than one-third of the respondents reported significant problems with the seven other barriers. Turnover rates for sworn deputy positions, using July 2001 as a base, ranged from 0 to 60 percent, with an average turnover rate of 12.7 percent. The most popular retention strategy mentioned was using a vigorous and fair promotion strategy (77.6 percent of respondents). Educational incentives were the second most frequently used strategy for retention. The five recommendations based on survey findings are that sheriffs' offices consider enhancing their current recruitment programs to make them more proactive and aggressive; that current BLET (basic law enforcement training) screening procedures be given a new look; that offices explore options for retaining officers beyond the 28-month critical mark; that nonfinancial means for retaining deputies be given equal consideration; and that lateral transfers within the law enforcement community be given a more detailed study. 3 tables