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