Addressing police turnover: Challenges, strategies, and future research directions
Key Points
- Impact Statement: Our review addresses the critical issue of officer retention, which impacts the stability and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies. While existing research is limited and fragmented, our review provides a roadmap for where further research is needed and offers high-level recommendations for police agencies.
- Examines strategies to enhance officer retention by synthesizing findings from both policing and related fields.
- Underscores the importance of context-specific, tailored approaches and calls for rigorous studies to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of these strategies.
- Recommends adapting organizational structures to foster innovative retention strategies, optimizing resource management, and implementing continuous evaluation processes to promote sustained officer retention.
Abstract
Maintaining adequate staffing levels to ensure public safety is a critical challenge for law enforcement agencies, especially with rising officer turnover driven by sociopolitical factors and changing workforce demographics. This narrative review examines strategies to enhance officer retention by synthesizing findings from both policing and related fields. These strategies are organized into five categories: (1) compensation and financial incentives, (2) career development and professional growth, (3) workplace environment and support, (4) wellness and resilience, and (5) feedback and organizational learning. The review underscores the importance of context-specific, tailored approaches and calls for rigorous studies to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of these strategies. Recommendations include adapting organizational structures to foster innovative retention strategies, optimizing resource management, and implementing continuous evaluation processes to promote sustained officer retention.
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Meret Hofer
Meret Hofer
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Jennifer Rineer
