To Protect and Serve: Influences of the Decision to Pursue a Critical Career Field

• In Event: Police and Recruitment Issues

Abstract

Occupational careers involving protection and service to the public are critically important, but often include significant understaffing challenges and turnover concerns that may compromise public safety. Research has begun to explore the factors that increase likelihood of pursuing such a career, but with ongoing social turmoil and municipal budget challenges this topic warrants considerable expansion. The current study seeks to expand this area of scholarship through analysis of career choices across multiple waves of data collected through the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Three successive waves include variables regarding career field choice, thus allowing for the examination of social factors, such as parental service work, and psychological factors, such as risk avoidance, on the decision to pursue careers in areas of public service and protection, relative to other categories. Supplemental analyses explore influences of protect and serve careers relative to other service type careers. Results suggest psychological constructs, such as an internal locus of control, increase the likelihood of pursuing protection and service careers. These findings suggest strategic policy considerations to improve recruitment and retention in these fields, and open inquiry to other aspects of career field changes.

Author

• David Abeling-Judge, Barton College