Choosing to Serve: Oregon Officers' Views of a Career in Law Enforcement

• In Event: Women in Policing I

Abstract

In Fall 2023, DPSST asked Oregon Law Enforcement executives to report on the state of staffing and attrition at their agency. This provided a high-level view of hiring and separation trends in Oregon but lacked insight into the nuances of why officers are entering the field, why some officers are moving laterally, and why some are leaving the profession altogether prior to qualifying for retirement.

The Choosing to Serve survey provides a deeper examination of officer perceptions of entering and staying in a policing career. This project revealed that female and male officers have similar reasons for joining policing, but when in comes to leaving an agency, motivations begin to diverge.

Questions focused on aspects of policing culture and daily life will provide DPSST’s constituent agencies with insight into how they can improve their own policies and practices to boost the recruitment and retention of diverse workforces.

Author

• Annie Rexford-Boren, Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST)