Critical Issues Forum will explore strategies to recruit and retain law enforcement officers

Nearly 100 law enforcement leaders are expected to particapte in MCPA's 2018 Critical Issues Forum held December 12th in Bloomington.  The program will focus on law enforcement strategies to recruit and retain police officers.  The forum will be held at Schneider Theater on the city's civic campus from 1 - 4:30 p.m.  

 

  Click HERE to register to attend

The event will include an overview of the current law enforcement employment situation provided by Minnesota State Demographer Susan Brower.  Brower will explain the graying of Minnesota's workforce.  Across the state, many employers are having more trouble than they used to finding and keeping employees. They’re making more efforts to accommodate workers with flexible schedules as well as educational and training incentives.

Peace officer recruitment and retention a top priority among MCPA members, according to association surveys.  The specific challenges are unique to communities across the state.  While many departments report fewer overall applicants, some agencies are more concerned about losing veteran officers with larger, suburban departments.

Minnesota has implemented some initiatives aimed at both increasing applicants and diversifying the pool of candidates.  The Pathways to Policing Program is one example designed to remove barriers for non-traditional candidates who have at least a two-year associate degree from an accredited college or university, and who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. The program focused on candidates without the means to pay for, or availability to attend a law enforcement academic program while in their current careers.  The Bloomington and St. Louis Park police departments developed the program with their cities’ human resource departments prior to inviting other agencies. Sponsoring departments provided trainees with mentors to keep them engaged, and Hennepin Technical College provided support during training.

The Critlcal Issues Forum will also include panels the feature the Next Generation: What Students Say and What Works: Effective Recruitment & Retention Strategies.   Watch for program updates in C-notes and this website.  

The program will once again be livestreamed across the state with the ability for police agencies and other stakeholders to watch and ask questions of the panelists.