How Workplace Friendships Shape Police Retention

• In Event: Network Criminology II: Social Networks, Policing, and Corrections

Abstract

Police departments across the US have faced high turnover, creating a crisis in hiring and retaining qualified officers. Research has traditionally focused on salary, work-life balance, and job satisfaction as key retention factors, but growing evidence suggests that workplace networks also matter. Strong social connections can encourage employees to stay, while the loss of central figures in a network can destabilize the work environment and increase turnover. This study examines how informal workplace friendships influence officer retention using longitudinal network data from a mid-sized Southwestern US police department. Findings reveal that officers are more likely to form friendships with colleagues based on attitudes about leaving their department and policing generally, even when accounting for assignment, supervision, income, tenure, and other demographics. These findings highlight the need to consider workplace relationships in discussions of police retention, as social connections may influence turnover intentions.

Authors

• Logan Ledford, East Tennessee State University

• Marie Ouellet, Simon Fraser University

• Amelia Jennings, East Tennessee State University