Page 10 - TPA Journal September October 2022

EDITOR’S NOTE
During the curriculum planning process which followed the Texas Legislature’s creation of what
was originally known as the Law Enforcement Management Institute (now The Bill Blackwood
Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas) in the late 1980’s, the curriculum committee
identified the need for each candidate to research a topic of importance to the candidate or
his/her department and write an academically acceptable paper on their findings. These
research papers currently reside in the Sam Houston State University Library in Huntsville. It is
our intention to publish selected papers in the Texas Police Journal from time to time in an effort
to showcase the work of the candidates and to provide valuable information to our readers.

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas
Recruiting and Retaining the Younger

Generations

By Stephen Mosley, St. Edwardʼs University Police Department Austin, Texas - October 2020

ABSTRACT enforcement agencies looking to attract
officers in the future need to identify key
Recruiting and retaining both Millennial and components of job satisfaction for younger
Generation Z applicants is of critical generations and plan to meet those needs.
importance to law enforcement agencies. This paper is designed to inform the reader of
Agencies, large and small, are chronically critical factors that influence decision
understaffed. Vacancies created by both making when members of the workforce
growth and by attrition as the current under the age of 35 are deliberating about a
workforce ages out exceed the number of career in law enforcement. This paper also
qualified applicants for those positions. Law addresses the issues facing departments and
enforcement agencies that wish to thrive in provides direction to those departments
the future must adapt now in order to wishing to continue to complement their
maintain police forces at sufficient levels. current force levels.
It is the position of this researcher that those
who currently occupy command positions
within departments should adjust current INTRODUCTION
practices in order to recruit and retain
sufficient numbers of quality candidates from One of the greatest challenges facing law
younger generations. This change will require enforcement agencies across the United
a dynamic shift in current hiring and States is the continued recruiting and
operational practices and procedures along retention of sufficient numbers of qualified
with modifications to departmental policies applicants. Many law enforcement agencies
that address applicant eligibility. Law around the United States are facing staffing

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