A Signaling Theory of Law Enforcement Hiring

• In Event: Credentialing, Education, and Hiring in Policing

Abstract

Police hiring is a critical step for any law enforcement agency. It is a long-term investment that is not taken lightly. How agencies hire their officers and what they look for is examined through the lens of signaling theory. The results of semi-structured interviews of agencies selected at random from a Midwest state are discussed.

Authors

• James A. Densley, Metropolitan State University

• David Squier Jones, Metropolitan State University

• Susan Hilal, Metropolitan State University