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Real-Life Recruiting

NCJ Number
215710
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 33 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2006 Pages: 10,12,14,16
Author(s)
Liz Martinez
Date Published
August 2006
Length
4 pages
Annotation
After noting the hiring crisis in law enforcement agencies nationwide, this article describes how various agencies are using a variety of new methods to expand their outreach to potential recruits.
Abstract
The King County Sheriff's Office (Washington State) posts all jobs in its newspaper of record, which also has an online version. Most of the responses come from the online version. It has also contracted with a marketing firm to develop a professional recruiting campaign. A cash bonus is offered to employees who refer a candidate who completes the deputy training program. The agency's starting salary is just over $45,000, and it has no college requirement or maximum age limit. A new recruiting tool of the Los Angeles Police Department consists of three movies that run on the department's Web site. The films feature real officers working in real scenarios. Area theaters have also been paid to run the films. The starting salary is $53,000, and a high school diploma is the minimum education requirement. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (Nevada) uses a television spot, which also runs on the department's dedicated recruiting Web site. It is an animated black-and-white action cartoon designed to appeal to youth. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department (California) offers a $5,000 signing bonus to officers who come over from other agencies. The starting salary is $45,000, and there is no age cutoff. Home-buying assistance is offered in the form of a 30-year, noninterest loan of up to $75,000. Law enforcement agencies are making a special effort to expand candidate pools by recruiting "nontraditional" officers: women, ethnic minorities, and gays and lesbians. Agencies are advertising their jobs through print media that are popular with these various groups.

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