Chief Mike Wilkie St . Mary ’ s Police Department
Recruitment and retention have always been challenges in the field of law enforcement . There is already a very small slice of the pie in terms of the people who are interested and qualified for this field of service . When someone is hired as a law enforcement officer , thousands of dollars can be spent on that person for training , equipment , and more .
Once a person is hired by an agency , what are some things that an agency can do to keep that individual on board with the agency ?
Create an atmosphere where personnel want to be a part of the agency . If the agency is 25 , 250 , 2000 , or whatever its sworn strength , making the agency a place where people want to work is a good first step .
To create and sustain this atmosphere , give the personnel opportunity for “ buy in .” If lower ranking personnel believe they have some voice in the organization , they are more likely to stick with it . More experienced and trained personnel have a lot to offer . Give them the opportunity to contribute based on their knowledge and experience .
Recognize accomplishments quicker than problems . Since law enforcement agencies are staffed with fallible people , it is inevitable that they will make mistakes , or possibly just make bad decisions . Treat mistakes like they are mistakes , accidents like they are accidents , and wrongdoing like it is wrongdoing . If personnel back into a light pole and damage a vehicle , treat it like an accident . That is why agencies carry insurance . Often , agency supervisors are quick to “ write up ” people over some incident , but slow to recognize them when something goes well . Let people know you appreciate the good work they have done when the agency hears about it . An email from a satisfied citizen can be turned into a little recognition for the personnel involved , that that will go a long way toward building a sense of appreciation .
Talk to your people and listen to them . Department personnel have a lot to say . An agency head cannot get bogged down in some shift issue simply because an officer has free tickets to the big football game and his / her supervisor will not let them off that day . That is for a supervisor to handle . Yet , department personnel who find that the agency head is approachable and will listen to their ideas will know they are not just a “ number ” in the organization , but they are a vital part of the overall plan .
Be realistic . Any agency can develop goals and objectives , and those can translate into opportunity for advancement and training , but any goals and objectives need to be attainable and their successful implementation measurable . We are limited by our budgets , so we cannot promise our people the moon , stars , and a ham .
Be fair . If anything can damage a department quickly , it is the sense that certain people are the favorites of the agency leadership .
Every person brings something to the table . Be fair and give everyone as equal an opportunity as possible .
Agency heads can do little about what people are paid . They can do nothing about the working conditions . If its hot when people are wearing ballistic vests , there is nothing that can be done to change that condition .
In the areas where agency heads have some leeway , do all that one reasonably can do to make personnel feel like they are appreciated , important , and have some future . That will go a long way toward retaining vital personnel . As anyone in retail would know , the
With the recent increase in police turnover agencies are experiencing , what strategies do you recommend for agencies to reduce the rate of attrition ?
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