Discuss the current "cop crunch," and some innovative ideas for recruiting quality officers for COPPS

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The current "cop crunch" is exacerbated in many cities by exploding growth, a competitive job market, natural catastrophes, and struggles to retain diversity. Adding to the problems is today's higher incidence of obesity, major debt, drug use, and criminal records found among potential recruits. A national meeting recently produced several recruiting measures that can be adopted, however, toward generating a satisfactory applicant pool:

• Have one leader in charge of the entire recruiting process, from marketing to testing to background investigation through academy training.
• Consider the academy dropout rate: are recruiters signing up the most promising candidates for the academy?
• Publicize hiring campaigns on business cards, use department vehicles as billboards, and emphasize the positive reasons for joining.
• Limit recruiting trips to those locations where candidates are likely to be found.
• Look at the academy program to see if something is hindering diversity and in effect "washing out" candidates.
• Make the department's recruiting efforts focus on the positives of police work, such as job security, the satisfaction of public service, and superior pay.
• Use bonuses for officers who refer candidates to the academy.
• Include an online sample test on the agency website.
• Allow other standardized tests such as the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery to substitute for the police department's own written test.