Chief of Administration's Message
September 2006
State Law Enforcement Recruitment Growing Critical
I recently reviewed an article in a Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times that addressed police recruiting difficulties and what agencies were doing to improve their odds of filling vacancies.
Apparently, the statewide demand for new law enforcement recruits will easily surpass the 25,000 mark. This increased number is due primarily to the state’s growing population and the desire to keep rising crime rates in check. San Bernardino County is currently experiencing rapid growth of its law enforcement agencies as well, with all county-level law enforcement departments at record staffing levels.
In Los Angeles County the situation is bleak with both the Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department struggling to fill positions being vacated by turnover let alone newly authorized positions. Both agencies have a combined current recruitment need in excess of 3,500 officers and deputies.
The demand for recruits has led agencies across the state to implement signing bonuses, compete for lateral applicants from other jurisdictions, and raise pay and benefits to record levels. Even the enhanced retirement package commonly referred to as “3% at age 50” has only minimally improved the environment, since the benefit is now the norm throughout the state.
Believe it or not, a major factor contributing to a shortage of job applicants is the military. Yes, the increase in global military conflict has expanded Armed Forces recruitment goals and most importantly the retention of active duty personnel for longer periods, thus delaying the entry of military service personnel into the law enforcement applicant pool. This loss has taken a large bite out of law enforcement recruiting, and will likely do so for years to come.
In the future you can expect additional increases in compensation as the market for “qualified” recruits tightens. Let’s just hope that the people are there to fill the gap.
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