NCJ Number
137437
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 61 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1992) Pages: 21-25
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Police recruitment is likely to be the key law enforcement issue in the year 2000 because the number of individuals available for entry-level positions will be smaller than it is currently.
Abstract
The challenge of police recruitment relates in part to demographics. By the year 2010, it is estimated that more than one-third of all American children will be black, Hispanic, or Asian. Over the next decade, there will be a decrease in both the number and the percentage of high school graduates who fall within the age range of most police applicants. The transformation of urban areas also presents law enforcement with a serious problem. The challenge of police recruitment, however, goes beyond demographics to the problem of shrinking numbers. Police departments must continue to focus on qualified applicants, offer incentives, and develop creative recruitment programs. Each police officer must be viewed as a potential recruiter, the military must be viewed as an important source of potential law enforcement employees, and police departments must develop programs aimed at changing traditional ethnic community attitudes toward law enforcement careers. If police departments can minimize turnover by understanding the needs and desires of employees, they will ultimately need to recruit fewer individuals. 14 endnotes