Recruitment & Retention

This section of the Research Centre presents all of our collected information on Recruitment & Retention as it relates to the policing sector.

Our collection has been organized into the following categories:

Articles
Books
Publications

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Articles

This section of the Research Centre presents all of our collected articles on Recruitment & Retention as they relate to the policing sector. The articles are organized by date.

Strategic Human Resources Analysis of Public Policing in Canada
Police Sector Council, 2000

The Strategic Human Resources Analysis of Public Policing in Canada is the product of consultations with more than 700 individuals from every constituent group within the Canadian police sector. This 2000 study was funded through a cost shared contribution agreement between the police sector and Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC).

The study was led by a Steering Committee made up of leaders representing police services, training institutions, police boards, municipalities, police associations, unions and government departments. The Committee generated a total of 26 recommendations under 5 main priorities:

• attracting the next generation of talent for policing organizations;
• increasing sector-wide efficiencies;
• improving the sector's human resource planning capacity;
• improving labour-management relations; and
• increasing funding and resources.

One of its key recommendations was the formation of a Police Sector Council which held its first Board of Directors meeting on June 30th, 2005. Click below for a downloadable version of either the Executive Summary or the full report.
Executive Summary
Full Report
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Policing Environment 2005
Police Sector Council

Since the release of the initial 2000 Study, much has happened domestically and internationally to affect the Canadian police community. To gain an accurate picture of the current environment, and to lay a strong foundation for the work of the Council, the PSC conducted the 2005 scan. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) funded the research.

Through the 2005 scan, the Council presents important findings:
• key demographic info about the workforce in general and policing in particular;
• labour market projections including representation in employment equity groups;
• operational and public policy issues such as private vs. public policing;
• federal/provincial authorities, governance and oversight;
• describing the use of technology such as e-learning.
Full Report
Back Up



Canadian Police - HR Inventory
Police Sector Council, 2005

In the spring of 2005, the Council surveyed more than 200 police services across Canada to determine what actions, if any, had been taken to address the issues identified in the Sector Study.
Chiefs of police and other senior executives were asked about a range of topics including HR planning tools and forecasts, training and research. When asked for their top HR issues, recruiting was identified as the overwhelming priority. Click below for a summary of the survey findings.
Executive Summary
Back Up



Youth Attitudes Towards Policing
Police Sector Council, 2005

In an effort to gain greater insight into youth attitudes towards policing as a career, the Council participated in a national public opinion survey called "Reconnecting Government with Youth 2005."
The Ipsos-Reid survey questioned 2,001 Canadians between the ages of 12 and 30 to gauge their perceptions and opinions on a wide variety of issues relevant to the public sector.

Specific to policing, the survey found that only 5% of respondents planned to pursue a career as a police officer, compared to 19% for health care and 18% for both education and the trades. However, when asked specifically about policing as a career, more than a third of the youth participants indicated they would consider it. The vast majority of respondents agreed that policing is meaningful work and a rewarding career, although more than half (57%) of the youth suggested the work is too dangerous.

Click below for a Summary of the findings directly related to policing or for access to the complete survey data.
Executive Summary
Full Report
Back Up

Up It’s 2008: Do you Know Where Your Talent Is? Why Acquisition and Retention Strategies Don’t Work - Deloitte Research Study
Deloitte Research , 2004

Deloitte Research group examines the talent shortage and skills gap for the future and presents ways to address this crisis now. They explore the importance of understanding and meeting the needs of an organization’s critical talent - the individuals that drive a disproportionate share of the company’s business performance and create the most value for customers and stakeholders.

Recruitment or acquisition and retention have been the key focus of most approaches to managing labour issues. What Deloitte Research suggests is that this focus needs to be realigned and time and effort need to be directed toward effective deployment and development.
Executive Summary
Full Report
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Innovations in Police Recruitment and Hiring. Hiring in the Spirit of Service.
COPS, US Department of Justice

The Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) undertook a full examination of US law enforcement’s best practices to recruit community police officers. They reviewed traditional screening procedures and present ways to creatively revise these practices to make them consistent with the principles of community policing.

Hiring in the Spirit of Service takes community policing to a new level and expands its definition and practices beyond the familiar tasks of information sharing and problem solving. The program highlights 5 law enforcement agencies to serve as examples of a new approach to recruitment for community policing purposes.
Full Report
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Diversity in Policing: Recruiting a Police Service that reflects the community
Ottawa Police Service

The Ottawa Police Service hosted a community forum to seek input on improving diversity in their recruiting process. Participants included members from the following groups: racial minorities, Aboriginals, gays, and women. The forum identified current barriers and resulted in the creation of strategies to promote diversity within the OPS.
Executive Summary
Full Report
Back Up



Best Practices: Addressing Diversity in Police Outreach and Recruitment Programs
Ottawa Police Service, 2003

This report presents the findings of research conducted by OPS on best practices on outreach and recruitment programs targeting the objective of creating a diverse workforce in a Police Service organization. A scan of what might have worked in North America, Great Britain, and Australia in reaching out to hire: women, GLBT community members, and racial/ethnic minorities as police officers.
Full Report
Back Up



Books

This section of the Research Centre presents all identified books on Recruitment & Retention as they relate to the policing sector. The books are organized by date.

Publications

This section of the Research Centre presents all identified publications on Recruitment & Retention as they relate to the policing sector. The publications are organized alphabetically.