Attrition from the Police Hiring Process in the Post-Floyd Era

• In Event: Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining the Police Workforce

Abstract

Police agencies have confronted challenges in recruitment for decades, challenges that have burgeoned in the years since the murder of George Floyd and the tarnished image of police that prevailed in its aftermath. Some approaches to bolstering recruitment efforts might be found in a better understanding of the factors that contribute to attrition among those who engaged in the hiring process. We examine attrition among more than 6,000 applicants who passed one agency’s entrance examination in 2023-2024, less than 400 of whom were appointed to a recruit class in 2024. We analyze agency data to trace the points at which applicants dropped out or were removed from the process. We also analyze data collected through a survey of applicants who chose to discontinue their engagement in the hiring process.

Authors

• Beau P. Holladay, John F. Finn Institute / University at Albany

• Robert E. Worden, John F. Finn Institute & University at Albany

• Sarah J. McLean, John F. Finn Institute