Police Recruitment and Selection: Field Lessons from a Platform of MSU-COPS Research (Sponsored by Division of Policing)

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Police recruitment and selection, among the most difficult tasks police agencies face in the best of times, have become even more difficult in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic, police legitimacy and resourcing concerns, the need for officers to have new skills, the desire for agencies to diversify their forces, and increased turnover fueling greater demand for officers are just a few of the recent challenges. Yet police and policymakers lack timely and systematic evidence on how to address these issues, with most existing research being narrowly focused or spread across a wide variety of sources. To help address these issues, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services provided support to the Michigan State University (MSU) Police Staffing Observatory (PSO) to develop a broad platform of research and outreach aimed at providing police practitioners resources to improve recruitment and selection processes. In this panel, the COPS Office will facilitate a discussion that features three ongoing projects the PSO research team is leading as part of this field-driven platform.

Sub Unit

• Area VI. The Criminal Justice System / 38. Police Organization and Training

Individual Presentations

• Examining the Nature and Evolution of the Police Staffing Crisis: A Media Content Analysis - Jeffrey Gruenewald, University of Arkansas; Jeremy Wilson, Michigan State University; Rosa Isabel Rivera, Michigan State University; Clifford A. Grammich, Birdhill Research and Communications, LLC

• A Comprehensive Approach: Building Effective Recruitment Programs - Rosa Isabel Rivera, Michigan State University; Jeremy Wilson, Michigan State University

• Police Recruitment and Selection Strategies: A Multidimensional Assessment of Form and Function - Jeremy Wilson, Michigan State University; Clifford A. Grammich, Birdhill Research and Communications, LLC

Chair

• Michael David, COPS Office

Organized by a Division or external group?

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services