Recruitment and Retention

L.E.P.S.L.
October 9, 2021
L.E.P.S.L. PROGRAM
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO
LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE
DEPARTMENT
Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention

Through the Lens of the Politics Metaphor
Authored by:
Lieutenant Nate Chio
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Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

400 South Martin Luther King Blvd. · Las Vegas, Nevada 89141 · (702) 828-3111 · LVMPD.COM
L.E.P.S.L. October 9, 2021
The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenges surrounding law enforcement recruitment and
retention through the lens of the political metaphor of organizational theory.
Morgan posits that within every organization, politics is not only present but may play a constructive role
to establish norms and create order. i He further states that politics may be an essential aspect to bring divergent
factions together for a common purpose. This is similar to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s view that
politics provided a means of creating order out of diversity while avoiding totalitarian rule. ii The politics metaphor
can be applied to law enforcement organizations to include the pervasive challenge of recruitment and retention
within the profession itself.
“The policing profession is facing a workforce crisis”. That was the opening sentence written in the
executive summary of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) report in 2019.iii The report detailed a triple
threat to the profession: Fewer people were applying to become police officers, more officers were leaving their
departments-and in many cases leaving the policing profession before retirement age, and a growing number of
current officers were becoming eligible for retirement. iv Exacerbating the “triple threat” are the higher
expectations placed on law enforcement by society as a whole.
The tumultuous year of 2020 with the COVID pandemic and the George Floyd protests hit law
enforcement extremely hard. Unlike many professions, law enforcement never stopped working during the
COVID shutdown. Law enforcement was on the front line and paid a heavy price for it. COVID-19 was the
leading cause of death in 2020 for law enforcement.v The nationwide protests in response to the George Floyd
killings have caused numerous issues for law enforcement. Recent polls showed America’s confidence in the
police in 2020, was at the lowest point in over 20 years. vi
There has been a significant increase nationwide in police professionals leaving the profession or retiring
early. In Chicago, 560 officers retired in 2020, 15% more than the previous year. vii New York had 2,500 cops
retire, nearly double the number in 2019. viii Minneapolis saw 20% of its officers retire or take leaves of absence.
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ix
In Las Vegas, Nevada, the state’s largest police agency, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
(LVMPD), experienced an approximate 20% increase in the number of officers leaving the department. x It
appears the issue identified in PERF’s 2019 report will only continue into the foreseeable future.
Compounding the issues is an increase of tasks and expectations for the law enforcement profession by
the public. Officers now deal with non-traditional problems such as homelessness, mental health, cyber-type
criminal activity, and substance abuse.xi There is a widespread call for increased training and professional
leadership within law enforcement. At least 30 states and Washington DC have enacted one or more statewide
legislative policing reforms.xii The result is there is a higher expectation in the skills, temperament, and life
experiences for an officer to succeed.
There are new factors that need to be considered for police agencies when recruiting and retaining
personnel. The higher public expectations can be viewed as external politics aimed at changing the modern police
professional. The law enforcement profession should adapt its strategies to successfully address the ongoing
recruitment and retention crisis.
In recruitment, police agencies should adopt strategies to attract candidates by focusing on service to the
community. Past recruitment strategies focused on the excitement and stereotypical aspects of police work. that
focused on highlighting specialized units such as SWAT and K9. There may be a wider audience attracted to the
service and guardian mindset of police work that has become an expected part of the new era of the profession. xiii
Grondel believes that the development of personal relationships with stakeholders is a key factor to
overcoming resistance and pursuing a compromise to reach an end goal. xiv Police agencies should leverage
existing relationships and develop new relationships within their community to widen the pool of potential
candidates.
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Some examples can be seen with LVMPD. LVMPD recruiting has begun attending various community
events targeting potential minority recruits. Recruiters have attended events sponsored by the Asian, Black, and
LGBTQ communities to name a few. Recruiters are strengthening relationships with the military at Nellis Air
Force Base, 29 Palms, and Camp Pendleton to attract potential candidates who are about to discharge out of the
service. xv
An innovative idea by Lt. Meyers of the LVMPD recruiting section is to advertise on billboards in cities
where there has been an exodus of police officers due to anti-police backlash. The billboards simply say, “Las
Vegas Supports First Responders. Join Our Force.” Billboards are scheduled to be put up in Minneapolis, Seattle,
Portland, New York, and San Francisco. This simple message may attract current police officers who still love
the job but don’t want to deal with the anti-police environment where they currently work. xvi
Retention of police officers may be enhanced by internal changes of the police profession to enhance
employee satisfaction. Morgan posits organizations are influenced by employee interests in the areas of task,
career, and personal life.xvii There has been a change in the workforce where professionals who “live to work”
have been replaced by the generation of “work to live”.xviii PERF’s report recommended aligning incentives with
the current generation to include a desirable work-life balance, including time for family responsibilities, and a
diversity of assignments.xix
Law Enforcement has and will continue to change. There will be new challenges and expectations that
must be met. However, there will always be those who answer the call to serve. Police agencies must adapt their
strategies to ensure the next generation of law enforcement does not unwittingly miss their true calling.
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i
Morgan, Gareth. (2006). Images of Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
ii
iii
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). “The Workforce Crisis, and What Police Agencies Are Doing About It” (2019).
Washington DC. Police Executive Research Forum.
iv
v
Quillen, A. “Data Shows COVID-19 as Leading Cause of Death in Law Enforcement This year” (2021). Retrieved at:
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/coronavirus/data-shows-covid-19-as-leading-cause-of-death-in-law-enforcement-this-year/2737304/
vi
Brenan, M. “Americans’ Confidence in Major US Institutions Dips” (2021). Gallup. Retrieved at:
https://news.gallup.com/poll/352316/americans-confidence-major-institutions-dips.aspx
vii
Main, F., Spielman, F. “In Chicago, other cities, more cops are calling it quits, retiring amid anti-police backlash” (2021). Chicago,
IL. Chicago Sun Times Jan. 15, 2021.
viii
ix
x
Director P. Cervantes. Director of Human Resources. Personal communication October 3, 2021.
xi
xii
Subramanian, R., Arzy, L. “State Policing Reforms Since George Floyd’s Murder” (2021). Retrieved at:
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-policing-reforms-george-floyds-murder
xiii
xiv
Grondell, D. Interview with Professor Grondell. LEPSL 560 Presentation 5.1.
xv
Lt. Richard Meyers. Lieutenant of Recruiting LVMPD. Personal communication 10-05-2021.
xvi
Lt. Richard Meyers. Lieutenant of Recruiting LVMPD. Personal communication 10-05-2021.
xvii
xviii
Smith, S. “A Crisis Facing Law Enforcement: Recruiting in the 21 st Century” (2016). Retrieved at:
https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/a-crisis-facing-law-enforcement-recruiting-in-the-21st-century/
xix
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L.E.P.S.L.

Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

retention through the lens of the political metaphor of organizational theory.

within the profession itself.

expectations placed on law enforcement by society as a whole.

police in 2020, was at the lowest point in over 20 years. vi

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

experiences for an officer to succeed.