Public employers are experiencing a worker shortage across the United States, and law enforcement agencies are no exception. According to a survey disseminated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 65% of agencies reported having too few candidates apply to be law enforcement officers. This trend is a result of multiple social, political and economic forces which have shaped the state of recruitment and retention strategies across the United States. Notable enactments within NCSL’s Legislative Responses for Policing Database have highlighted the ways states are tackling shortages and thinking creatively to fill the gaps in public safety personnel.
State legislatures have the ability to influence recruitment by providing grants for the hiring of quality candidates. A few states, including Illinois, Louisiana and New Mexico, have all created law enforcement recruitment and retention funds to support the hiring and retaining of new officers. The Illinois bill provided $10 million for the statewide training standards board to award grants to units of local government, public institutions of higher education and qualified nonprofit entities for the purpose of recruiting new officers.
Another strategy includes the creation of financial incentives like hiring bonuses and tiered retention bonuses for those who remain within law enforcement. Nebraska’s Law Enforcement Attraction and Retention Act is an example of a tiered...
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli media have published false claims regarding a possible understanding between Iran and the US. An Israeli media outlet, i24NEWS, claimed that “American officials say Ira...