Reducing police turnover: Recommendations for the law enforcement agency

Abstract

Law enforcement is a career that offers long-term employment; however, not everyone who enters the profession stays until they retire. Because the costs of employing a police officer can be significant to both the organization and the individual seeking to pursue and maintain a career in law enforcement, identifying ways to reduce police turnover is important. This study captures the experiences of officers who left prematurely, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, to help identify what agencies can do to keep officers long term. Data for this exploratory study was gathered via semi-structured interviews with 36 former police officers. The findings highlighted several common themes that law enforcement agencies could address, including: leadership training, clear and transparent processes, permanent light-duty assignments, shift flexibility, improved morale, and more focus on personal wellness.

Strain, negative emotions and turnover intentions among American police managers

“…Additional potential organizational stressors (work-life conflicts and perceived lack of support from supervisors) contributed to elevated levels of frustration and burnout, as prior research also found (Adams and Buck, 2010;Allison et al, 2020;Bishopp et al, 2019;Garbarino et al, 2013;Wickramasinghe et al, 2016;Wu and Wen, 2020). Indirectly, but significantly, these organizational stressors predicted turnover intent, as other studies also noted (AlHashmi et al, 2019;G€ achter et al, 2013;Hilal and Litsey, 2020;Jaramillo et al, 2005;Vuorensyrj€ a, 2014).…”

Elevated police turnover following the summer of George Floyd protests: A synthetic control study

“…The direct and indirect costs of police turnover extend beyond crime levels, however. For example, direct costs consist of expenses required to hire replacements: background checks, psychological assessments, medical assessments, and training expenses (Hilal & Litsey, 2020). It is estimated that the cost of losing an officer ranges from one to five times the salary of that officer (Orrick, 2008).…”

“…Indirectly, when officers leave, both the organization and the community lose accumulated institutional knowledge and specific professional knowledge and skills (Hilal & Litsey, 2020; Hur, 2014). Leavism can lead to decreased quality of service and productivity (Hilal & Litsey, 2020).…”

“…Indirectly, when officers leave, both the organization and the community lose accumulated institutional knowledge and specific professional knowledge and skills (Hilal & Litsey, 2020; Hur, 2014). Leavism can lead to decreased quality of service and productivity (Hilal & Litsey, 2020). Often termed a “brain drain,” the reduction in performance levels and increased operational risks driven by high turnover are just as real as replacement costs, though they are difficult to quantify (Wilson et al., 2010).…”

Rethinking Criminal Justice Education: Applying Experience Credits towards CJ Degree Completion – Generates Dollars, but Does It Make Sense?

“…Further, retaining those hired has also proved challenging for both law enforcement and corrections agencies (e.g., Griffin, Hogan, & Lambert, 2014;National Institute of Corrections, 1994;Wilson, Dalton, Scheer, & Grammich, 2010). The average number of years on the job for municipal police officers in the United States is typically reported as being between 20-25 years (Paton, Violanti, Burke, & Gehrke, 2009), although in specific contexts the career length is much less (Hilal & Litsey, 2020).…”