The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) have released Recruitment and Retention for the Modern Law Enforcement Agency, a report that offers recommendations for agencies facing recruitment and retention challenges.
The publication is the result of a convening of law enforcement and community leaders across the country, facilitated by COPS and BJA, at the request of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
The report offers a number of recommendations, including reconsidering officer eligibility requirements to better reflect modern police work; modernizing and accelerating the hiring process; investing in officer health, safety, and wellbeing; and working with community leaders to target recruitment efforts toward diverse candidates and potential recruits who might otherwise not consider law enforcement as a career.
“As we come up with new and effective strategies to advance community policing and reduce crime, we must address this recruitment and retention crisis with the same vigor and energy,” said Director Karhlton Moore of BJA. “We are dedicated to supporting the infrastructure to hire and retain high quality recruits and officers to keep our communities safe, and this publication will be pivotal in helping us achieve that goal.”
Read the report or learn more in a Department of Justice press release.