Hiring for the 21st Century Law Enforcement Officer - Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies for Success

Sep 13, 2026

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A strategic report on hiring law enforcement officers in the 21st century, centered on challenges, opportunities, and practical recommendations. It examines how recruitment and selection can align with community and departmental values, improve hiring efficiency through streamlined processes, and strengthen diversity and inclusiveness. The work also addresses additional eligibility and workforce considerations, providing promising practices for a fair, context-aware, and future-ready hiring approach.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatPDF

Pages78

Reading Time27 min

AccessFree to download

Letter from the Director of the COPS Office

Letter from the Executive Director of PERF

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Shaping the Policing Profession for the 21st Century

Diverse personnel, diverse perspectives

Three overarching themes

Discussion, recommendations, and promising practices

Nexus of recruitment and hiring

Hiring Candidates Who Share the Values and Vision of the Community and the Department

Making the Hiring Process More Efficient

Advancing Diversity and Inclusiveness in the Hiring Process

Other Issues to Consider

Conclusion: Promising Practices for Moving the Profession

Hiring for the 21st Century Law Enforcement Officer Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies for Success This project was supported by cooperative agreement number 2015-CK-WX-0018 awarded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity. Recommended citation: Morison, Kevin P. 2017. Hiring for the 21st Century Law Enforcement Officer: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies for Success. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Published 2017 Contents Letter from the Director of the COPS Office ............................................................................................ iii Letter from the Executive Director of PERF .............................................................................................. v Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................... vii Introduction: Shaping the Policing Profession for the 21st Century ........................................................ 1 Diverse personnel, diverse perspectives .............................................................................................. 2 Three overarching themes .................................................................................................................... 3 Discussion, recommendations, and promising practices ..................................................................... 4 Nexus of recruitment and hiring ........................................................................................................... 4 1. Hiring Candidates Who Share the Values and Vision of the Community and the Department ........... 5 Identify key traits and characteristics ................................................................................................... 6 Operationalizing the process ................................................................................................................ 7 A new look at traditional measures ...................................................................................................... 9 Still need to “screen out the negative”............................................................................................... 13 Dealing with past drug use ................................................................................................................. 13 Dealing with bias—explicit and implicit.............................................................................................. 16 Providing context for financial responsibility issues........................................................................... 18 A new look at some traditional tools .................................................................................................. 18 Reviewing candidates from other agencies ........................................................................................ 21 Ensuring the process is fair ................................................................................................................. 23 Recommendations and promising practices: Hiring candidates who share the values and vision of the community and the department ............ 26 2. Making the Hiring Process More Efficient ................

FAQs

What are the core themes of the report on hiring law enforcement officers?

The report organizes its guidance around three overarching themes and focuses on recommendations and promising practices tied to recruitment and hiring.

How does the report suggest aligning hiring with community and departmental values?

It outlines identifying key traits and characteristics, operationalizing the process, and using approaches to ensure candidates fit the values and vision of both the community and the department.

What strategies are proposed to improve the efficiency of hiring?

The report discusses different processes and timelines, highlights procedural inefficiencies, and presents promising approaches designed to accelerate the hiring process.

Sep 13, 2026

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