AST October 2019 Finalists Edition Oct 2019 Magazine | Page 85

But times are changing, and local www.AmericanSecurityToday.com leaders are facing problems that are taxing their agencies’ ability to provide appropriate levels of pro- tection. There are many October factors contributing 2019 - Edition 38 to this decline. According to a recent report by the Police Executive Forum (PERF), a survey of 400 Police Departments shows 66 percent of those de- partments report seeing declin- ing numbers of applications. Traditionally, competition for candi- dates would be among law enforce- ment agencies or related fields. A booming economy is making competition for labor extreme. But with a tight labor market, agen- cies are competing with business- es and agencies much more broadly. (The Mobile Police Department is confronting the national crisis of recruitment and retention of police officers. It’s one of many urban police departments across the nation affected by a shortage of qualified applicants and at the same time is struggling to retain the funded strength of its work- force due to the fierce competition. Courtesy of WKRG and YouTube. Posted on Sep 12, 2019.) 83