To be effective, HR strategies and plans must reflect a clear understanding of the current and projected labour market issues at the national and local levels.

The policing sector is facing serious demographic challenges - an aging workforce with diminished performance capacity for police work, a reduced interest/availability of the youth cohort, and “baby-boomer” retirement and career retention issues.

Compounding these challenges, are work management issues - changing and increasingly complex operational demands, increasing knowledge and skills requirements for officers, regional demands, and requirements for employment diversity and equity.

Knowledge and understanding of the impacts and implications of these factors on strategies and practices in HR planning and management is vital to the sustainability and improvement of the policing sector.


Research

Strategic Human Resources Analysis of Public Policing in Canada, 2000
The results of the 2000 study indicated the need for improvements in youth recruitment, sector efficiencies, HR planning capacity, labour-management relations, and funding and resources.
Executive Summary
Full Report

Policing Environment 2005, Police Sector Council
This environmental scan updates the 2000 study. It involved the cooperation of Police Services across Canada to develop the Policing Employee Database. Analysis of the data indicate the need for more sector collaboration, and further efforts required to address recruitment, sector efficiencies, the operational and public policy environment, labour market projections, the documented information technology infrastructure, and HR planning and management practices
Executive Summary
Full Report

Facts and Figures: Immigration Overview-Permanent and Temporary Residents
Citizenship and Immigration Canada has released its annual publication on immigration data. This online report is important for the policing community as immigration is a critical means through which labour shortages of the near future can be addressed.
Full Report

RCMP environmental scan 2004
Canada’s national police force periodically undertakes a full environmental scan, or in the off-years, a “feature focus” in depth review, to identify trends and implications of the changing environment. The scan covers 7 dimensions - demographics, society, economy, politics and governance, science and technology, environment, and public safety and security; at 2 levels globally, and in Canada.
Full Report


Articles

Environmental Scanning & Labour Market Analysis News.
The Police Sector Council conducts media monitoring to collect articles on recruitment and retention issues relevant to policing from Canadian and International newspapers, magazines, and news wires.

Boom-time worker shortage raises safety concerns,
Uyen Vu, Canadian HR Reporter Vol. 18 No. 20, Nov. 21, 2005.

In search of security: The roles of public police and private agencies,
Law Commission of Canada, 2002.


Tools

Policing Environment Scan 2005, Police Sector Council
The Survey Instruments used for the Scan are available for review.

Surveys