PERF Report: Policing Profession Facing a Hiring Crisis

The Police Executive Research Forum recently released a report saying that the police profession is in a hiring crisis.

The report said , "Fewer people are applying to become police officers, and more people are leaving the profession, often after only a few years on the job. These trends are occurring even as many police and sheriffs’ offices are already short-staffed and facing challenges in developing a diverse workforce."

The report said further that the workforce crisis is affecting large, medium, and small law enforcement agencies in all parts of the country, and is affecting local, state, and federal agencies.

The report is based on a survey of its members inquiring about trends in officer recruitment and retention. The report concluded that fewer people are applying to become police officers, more officers are leaving the profession prior to retirement age, and an increasing number of officers are nearing retirement age and are likely to soon leave the profession.