washington law enforcement recruitment and retention
TRANSCRIPT
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Washington Law Enforcement
Recruitment and Retention Practices, Opportunities, and Recommendations
WCMA Conference Morning Session May 4, 2018
Susanna Hans and Bucoda Warren
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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
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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
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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
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Wages in
Washington
• $78,600 average annual
salary for Washington
LEOs, 4th highest in
the nation
• Ranked 15th highest
cost of living by
“GoBankingRates”
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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
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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%)
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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.”
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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
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Recommendations
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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.“
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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.
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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)
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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
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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