Page 15 - TPA Journal September October 2022
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community and to the department. The without a degree to indicate that inadequate
purpose of high hiring standards is to ensure pay was a major concern for them during
that only the most ethical, capable, and their decision process to enter the law
honorable candidates make it onto the force enforcement field (Rand, 2010). However,
(Wyllie, 2016). studies have shown that overall most
millennials placed less emphasis on salary
Law enforcement officers are daily placed in and more on time off and a good work/life
situations where they must be trusted to balance (Castaneda et al., 2010).Therefore,
correctly apply the law. Often this action will by emphasizing more time off and a better
result in the prosecution of criminal work life balance for applicants, a
activities. Those hired with minor criminal department can make a career in law
arrest or minor drug arrest, committed those enforcement more attractive.
infractions knowingly (Titus, 2017). The St.
Paul police department’s new written tests RECOMMENDATIONS
now focus more on personal histories and
community engagement, and interviews Law enforcement agencies must adapt to
have been refocused to allow applicants to remain competitive in both attracting and
personally explain incidents that may have retaining candidates from the under 35
previously disqualified them (Williams, generation. Fundamental changes are
2017). Past histories can often be an needed in current recruiting and screening
indicator of future performance. Relaxing processes and field training programs. All the
hiring standards can reasonably be expected changes require shifts in the mindset of the
to result in departments staffed with a lower older generations who currently fill
caliber of officers who have already supervisory positions within the agency.
demonstrated poor decision-making. In
contrast, lowering the hiring standards can Make recruiting a priority for the department.
open the door to highly intelligent In so many agencies, the role as recruiter is
candidates who may only lack the physical delegated to the lower rank and file. The
attributes needed to pass an entrance test. command staff simply view it as a necessary
evil to the extent that they post the recruiting
Recruiters may struggle with recruiting efforts website address on the back of the patrol
that appeal to one demographic while units. Departments need to get everyone in
potentially alienating others. Black recruits the agency involved in recruiting. A change
who were surveyed by the Rand Corporation of mindset from the top on down is needed
indicated in the study that they were as both officers and administrators need to
considerably less likely than the white view every interaction with the public as a
recruits surveyed to cite starting salaries as a potential recruiting opportunity. How the
key advantage or disadvantage or to finding public perceives the police will weigh
a job in law enforcement. College graduates heavily on attracting the right candidate.
were also much more likely than recruits After increasing involvement, departments
Sept./Oct. 2022 www.texaspoliceassociation.com • (512) 458-3140 11
