Because of declining birthrates, the number of young West Germans entering the work force will decrease dramatically in the coming decade. The lack of young recruits will have a particularly great impact on the police force, which is losing experienced personnel to other career options and which must meet expanded demands on reduced budgets. Issues that must be considered include quality versus quantity in personnel decisions, the lessons to be learned from the personnel marketing and training practices of large private companies, personnel development as part of police management, the use of the assessment center, the relationships between employees and supervisors, and the future of female police officers.