Many people have heard the saying “The community is the police, and the police is the community,” attributed to Sir Robert Peel. However, it is no secret that there is a vast disparity between minority representation in law enforcement and minority representation in the community served. The last two years have magnified the noticeable inequity. For hundreds of years, specific groups of people in the United States would never even think to apply for a career in law enforcement. Therefore, those groups are hundreds of years behind the current majority group and must play catch up. Of course, everyone should meet the same qualifications. However, if those qualifications and standards make it difficult for whole groups of people to compete, maybe those standards should be reevaluated and considerations should be inclusive of all people.
A quick survey of any U.S. police department will reveal a small percentage of minority members within their ranks and even less in higher command. In 2022, it is past the time for talk and the continual celebration of the “first black this or that.” The law enforcement community must take action.
These unprecedented times have certainly been difficult; however, the profession cannot use this as a way out of intentionally recruiting members of the unrepresented groups in police departments.
Law enforcement leaders owe it to their members and communities to actively solicit those hesitant to enter this profession due to their race, ethnicity, or gender. As an assistant chief, the author has spoken to many recruits who are drawn to careers in law enforcement, yet never thought it possible with her agency. Instead, they opt to seek employment in the areas of probation, juvenile justice, and corrections. These professional practitioners make a positive difference in the lives of those in need. But, by the time community members encounter them, it is too late to keep them from entering the criminal justice system. Officers from all groups are needed on the front lines at the initial call for service.
Intentional Recruitment
Recruitment of underrepresented classes must be strategic and intentional. Agencies cannot afford to sit back and wait for applicants to come to them. That will result in employing from the same pool from which many police departments have always employed. Police work is traditionally planned and methodical—this must be applied in recruiting as well.
Recruitment of underrepresented classes must be strategic and intentional. Agencies cannot afford to sit back and wait for applicants to come to them.
Leaders of departments and agencies must set a welcome and fair atmosphere. Once the culture of the agency is defined, specific staff members can be selected as recruiters. Ideally, the recruiters will mirror those whom they are trying to recruit. This does not mean calling upon the only minority officer to recruit. No one wants to be the token trotted out when the cameras are rolling. Nor is it true that only minority officers can recruit minority applicants. There are certainly people within the agency from all races and backgrounds who are capable of recruiting those who do not look like them. However, those selected for the recruiting team should have a shared interest and desire to recruit the best qualified candidates who happen to be minority applicants.
Specific locations, institutions, events, and organizations are fertile ground for recruitment. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) graduate hundreds of students each year who would be ideal candidates for the job. Contrary to the name, black people are not the only race who attend these colleges. In addition, the world must understand the only reason these colleges exist is because black people were prohibited from attending any other colleges and were forced to create their own. It was never a matter of segregation on their behalf. This may take a bit of effort on the part of some departments because not every city or state has HBCUs so employees may have to plan travel to attend the college job fair or recruitment seminars.
Neighborhood churches found in minority neighborhoods are also great sources of personnel. Every pastor knows which members are away in college or who has a child in college. Church leaders can connect your recruiters with their parishioners. An Urban League also exists is in many major cities. This organization has been around for hundreds of years and was established to enable economic self-reliance, parity, political power, and civil rights. Agencies can contact specific fraternities and sororities to solicit their members. The black community, for instance has, the Divine 9, which is a group of sororities and fraternities with primarily black members.
Once an agency has recruited a person, the recruit should be paired with a mentor who will help with hiring questions or any difficulties. All recruits regardless of race, creed, or national origin can benefit from this service. The mentor will be vetted to ensure they fully understand the mission.
All recruits should know they are in a welcoming environment for training through retirement. Their voices will be heard and considered in decision-making. Terminations and disciplinary actions will be fair and performance based.
Agencies must ensure all applicants are tracked to follow up on successes and failures. Those deficiencies that can be corrected should be, and those that cannot be dealt with accordingly and fairly.
After completing the field training program, officers will continue to train and learn, and the agency should continue to monitor their progress. Leaders should remember that a general and casual conversation with new hires can be used to connect and figure out the individual’s goals. These conversations do not have to be official—a chance passing in a hallway or a short chat in a parking lot can prove beneficial. Agencies must encourage open and honest dialogue—thus allowing leaders to stay abreast of current happenings.
Leaders must promote growth within the ranks of their members. They should encourage additional training, leadership classes, and leadership opportunities for staff. Many officers begin to rely on overtime and adopt the attitude that they can make more in overtime than they can by getting promoted; this mindset must be debunked. Everyone, and specifically those unrepresented within the higher ranks, should be encouraged to look to promotion so as to have a voice in decision-making.
Leaders must promote growth…They should encourage additional training, leadership classes, and leadership opportunities for staff.
Recruiting those who have not traditionally been a part of the profession can prove difficult. Leaders must understand the history that after being denied and mistreated by law enforcement for hundreds of years, there is some reluctance to join. There may be resistance to becoming “part of the system,” but emphasize that they can be part of the solution and influence change. The person might become that sole officer who can understand the background of a youth from the same group and can help steer him or her in the right direction.
In addition, once it is established that departmental recruitment efforts are enhanced and inclusive of all, it should be understood that there will be criticism and sometimes anger. Leaders should not allow their efforts to be critiqued, mocked, or labelled. Any hint of dissension of what has been mandated must be immediately addressed and eradicated. Leaders must encourage advancement of those in the lower ranks who may one day be in charge.
Plan for Success
Recruitment is a departmental effort; anyone who wears a uniform or even works for the police department is a recruiter. It is incumbent to recruit the best qualified persons for positions that need to be filled. Leaders have the additional responsibility of examining the agency’s personnel needs to ensure the right fit. This is not to suggest that an agency fill a position with a minority just to check a box. Any applicant or recruit should be as qualified and competent as anyone else in the agency. A successful plan of action will include the following.
Recruitment will be strategic and intentional. Follow-up will be done with all applicants. Career path and succession planning will be a part of the organization’s culture to cultivate future leaders, and leadership staff will reflect all groups represented in the ranks.
Taking organizational temperature checks will prevent resentment and gossip from festering and infecting the organization. Leaders will lead from the front and will not be afraid to make difficult and unpopular decisions that will help the organization as a whole and in the long term. Many people are resistant to any type of change and do not see the benefit until forced to do so.
Organizational leaders will recognize if there is a lack of diversity and work to create it. Unfortunately, many leaders do not recognize the issue even when confronted with it. They do nothing to fix the problem they cannot see, thus beginning their demise. Successful leaders will develop recruitment teams with the specific mission in mind and defined. Members of the team will be vetted to ensure they are on board and understand the assignment.
The recruitment team will visit specific venues, organizations, or institutions to ensure the team garners the type of applicant they are looking for. They will establish relationships with these organizations to ensure constant communication. The intention of these relationships is to become the first place the organizations call when they identify potential and suitable applicants.
Leaders will address any diversion from the recruitment efforts, ensure there is no labeling of recruits (e.g., the affirmative action group), and dispel any rumors.
Leaders will follow up with new hires and establish a system that will monitor the recruits’ progress or lack thereof. If an applicant is successful, encouragement to promote up or laterally will be a common thread in the organization.
Agencies will establish a mentorship program or something similar. This connects people of like-mindedness and can ensure the success of new hires. The mentorship program can be organized, but organic relationships that develop on their own should also be encouraged. The agency’s match for someone might not be their chosen match.
Agencies will encourage additional trainings, leadership classes, and opportunities to step into leadership roles. Serving as a field training officer (FTO), corporal, and step-up supervisors are all opportunities for those in lower ranks to attain leadership skills and responsibility. In some instances, it may be discovered that those who thought they wanted to be in a leadership position do not want it after all. Conversely, those who may have not previously considered being in leadership may be led to do so.
Conclusion
All voices within an organization and a community must be heard. When only specific voices are heard, it leads to mistrust within the organization and community. Within the department, it can also lead to low morale, terminations, and misconduct, as well as low hiring and retention rates.
Everyone has the responsibility to ensure their voice is heard in an organization and to recruit those who they feel will enhance the profession as well as the agency. This problem was not created overnight and will not be fixed overnight—all officers, leaders, and agencies need to do their part.
Please cite as
Tameca West, “Recruiting the Unrecruited,” Police Chief Online, December 7, 2022.
