washington law enforcement recruitment and retention
TRANSCRIPT
Washington Law Enforcement
Recruitment and Retention Practices, Opportunities, and Recommendations
WCMA Conference Morning Session May 4, 2018
Susanna Hans and Bucoda Warren
What brings us here today
• Evans School Student Consulting
Lab contract with the Association
of Washington Cities
• Not the final report, looking for
feedback from the Manager’s
perspective
53%
27%
20%
Law Enforcement Officers in Washington
Workforce Eligible to Retire Today Eligible to Retire within 5 years
Share practices in use across Washington and nationally
Find new and innovative solutions to recruitment and retention issues
Navigate changing environments and potential challenges
Law Enforcement Agencies in Washington
• Public Safety Testing and application
3 Months
• Oral boards, background check, other hiring requirements
3 Months• Police academy
6 Months
• Field training
3 Months
272 Law Enforcement
Agencies
Wages in
Washington
• $78,600 average annual
salary for Washington
LEOs, 4th highest in
the nation
• Ranked 15th highest
cost of living by
“GoBankingRates”
Tukwila Police Department
• 77 Officers
• 3.94 Ratio
Fife Police Department
• 30 Officers
• 3.03 Ratio
Lakewood Police Department
• 96 Officers
• 1.63 Ratio
Sequim Police Department
• 19 Officers
• 2.69 Ratio
Poulsbo Police Department
• 17 Officers
• 1.67 Ratio
Port Angeles Police Department
• 31 Officers
• 1.61 Ratio
Port Orchard Police Department
• 23 Officers
• 1.67 Ratio
Yakima County Sherriff ’s Office
• 55 Officers
• .63 Ratio
Clark County Sherriff ’s Office
• 134 Officers
• .61 Ratio
Thurston County Sherriff ’s Office
• 83 Officers
• .59 Ratio
Washington Average
• 41 Officers
• 1.65 Officer/1,000 Citizen Ratio
Survey Findings
27% of officers surveyed have
considered leaving their department for
another
However, 50% of officers have
considered leaving the profession
completely
• Most officers are happy and feel valued at
their departments (70%+)
• A large number of officers are recruited and
recruit based on word of mouth discussions
(80%)
Interview Findings
Organizational Culture is Key
Passive vs Active Recruiting
Agency Loyalty
Recruiting from the same pool
“I would rather run a department understaffed than to hire someone who is a bad fit for us.”
Analysis
There are both opportunities to innovate and opportunities to avoid challenges by getting ahead of the problem
• Most agencies rely on the Public Safety Testing list Challenge: Lack of recruiting
pool diversity
• Without active policies departments will be unprepared to replace retiring officers, recruit new demographics, and retain current officers Challenge: Passive R&R
External Threat: Economic Climate
External Threat: Perception of Law Enforcement Agencies
Recommendations
Develop an Employer Brand & Live the Brand
in Practice
• A strong feeling of
appreciation by the
community for the work
officers do builds loyalty to
the community
• Inform community of police action quickly, follow up with citizens, and keep them engaged with who you are via social media
Maintain a strong social media and community Presence
• A simple way for citizens to engage officers and both bring concerns and learn from the departmentCoffee with a Cop
“Not as many people see policing as an
honorable profession to serve. This needs
to change.“
Begin Active Retirement Planning
• Begin recruiting to replace retiring officers before they are eligibleKnow when officers are
eligible to retire
• Allow for a bit of overlap when possible so that new officers can learn from those retiring Bring in new officers early
• Proactive (instead of reactive) preparation for retirements will help keep
staffing levels appropriate and will help avoid a disruption should plans
change and an officer retire early.
Target Non-traditional Applicants
• Easier for women to approach, representation builds more confidence for applicants and entry level officersUse female recruiters/trainers
• Female sports teams that may want that team comradery after collegeTargeting new pools
86%
14%
Law Enforcement Officers by Gender
Men
Women
Female officers resort to force & deadly force less often than male colleagues (11% vs 30%)• Based on a Pew Research Center survey of 8,000
officers in departments of at least 100 officers)
Adapt to a Changing Workforce Demographic
• Allows officers to do more and be more engaged, and increases experience of officers across department
Rotational Special Unit Assignments
• Consider tattoos, and rising student debt in background checks for exampleModify Hiring Standards
The youngest Millennials are
around 22 today
Gen Z will be the next future
demographic to consider
Wrapping Up
Feedback from stakeholders
Finish final report and presentation
Give presentation, turn in report
Report materials given to AWC
Today
June 11
June 1
2-3 weeks