Reducing police turnover: Recommendations for the law enforcement agency
| Author | Susan Hilal,Bryan Litsey |
| DOI | 10.1177/1461355719882443 |
| Published date | 01 March 2020 |
| Date | 01 March 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
Reducing police turnover:
2020, Vol. 22(1) 73–83
ª The Author(s) 2019
Recommendations for the law
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enforcement agency
DOI: 10.1177/1461355719882443
journals.sagepub.com/home/psm
Susan Hilal
School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Metropolitan State University Minnesota, USA
Bryan Litsey
School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Metropolitan State University Minnesota, USA
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.
Keywords
Police turnover, police, leadership training, shift work, light-duty
Submitted 07 Apr 2019, Revise received 01 Jul 2019, accepted 16 Sep 2019
Introduction
who left the profession, whether voluntarily or involunta-
rily, sooner than they originally intended. These men and
Turnover in a law enforcement agency is an important topic to
women went into the profession with high hopes and idea-
review because replacing an officer can be both time-
listic expectations that took detours along the way. Their
consuming and expensive. Direct costs to the agency are for
common experiences are identified to illustrate their
expenses related to things like background checks, uniforms
experiences prior to, while they were an officer, and at the
and equipment, psychological assessments, medical assess-
turnover point to help inform law enforcement agencies
ments, overtime, training and administrative costs. Indirect
how they can potentially reduce turnover.
costs can include quality of services, productivity, accumu-
lated institutional, and professional knowledge and skills
(Orrick, 2002; Wareham, Smith & Lambert, 2015). With
Literature review
police and detective jobs predicted to increase 7% by 2026
Turnover refers to the rate or number of people who leave
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018) and with news reports of a
or are replaced in a specific organization or field. This can
shortage of new police applicants in some areas (Kaste and
Mack, 2018), coupled with an “exodus” of officers in other
areas (Joyce, 2018; Raguso, 2018), reducing turnover should
Corresponding author:
Susan Hilal, School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Education
be an important priority for law enforcement agencies.
Center, Metropolitan State University, 9110 Brooklyn Boulevard,
This exploratory study uses semi-structured interviews
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445, USA.
to summarize the experiences of 36 former police officers
Email: Susan.Hilal@metrostate.edu
74
International Journal of Police Science & Management 22(1)
include both voluntary and involuntary separation. When
Myers, 1990). Factors related to organizational commit-
voluntary, the employee leaves because they made the
ment include: job satisfaction (Kerdngern and Thanitben-
decision and when involuntary, the organization termi-
jasith, 2017); intrinsic, extrinsic and social rewards (Nazir
nates an employee with or without cause. Involuntary
et al., 2016); ethical climate (Schwepker, 2001); mentoring
separation can include those who were fired for miscon-
(Payne and Huffman, 2005); developmental feedback
duct, but also individuals who are no longer able to per-
(Baek-Kyoo and Park, 2010); organizational learning cul-
form the duties as assigned for reasons such as injury
ture (Baek-Kyoo and Park, 2010); corporate social respon-
and/or medical situations. This is an important distinction
sibility (Kim et al., 2016); and work–family climate
considering police officers are at a higher risk of work-
(O’Neill et al., 2009).
related physical injuries than those in many other careers
In addition to job satisfaction and organizational com-
(Lyons et al., 2017).
mitment, job embeddedness makes it more difficult to
leave a job when the link, fit and sacrifice are high (Mitch-
ell et al., 2001). Job embeddedness can be measured both
Job turnover
on- and off-the-job. In a meta-analysis that examined the
Identifying why people stay or leave an organization has
impact of these variables, researchers found that both on-
been a focus of study for quite some time. Reasons for
and off-the-job embeddedness was negatively correlated
staying (retention) are not always the same as the motiva-
with turnover intentions and actual turnover (Jiang et al.,
tion for leaving (turnover); as Reitz and Anders (2011)
2012). Further, although job embeddedness is often viewed
argue, retention and turnover are not necessarily the reverse
as a benefit to employees, this can be a negative when the
of each other. Still, research has shown job satisfaction and
employee is embedded in an adverse work environment,
organizational commitment are the main predictor
defined as abusive supervision and job insecurity (D. G.
variables.
Allen et al., 2016).
Studies show that job satisfaction is correlated with a
number of factors including: institutional leadership (Ker-
dngern and Thanitbenjasith, 2017; Lee et al., 2017); orga-
Police turnover
nizational commitment (Cantarelli et al., 2016; Saridakis
et al., 2018); trust (Cantarelli et al., 2016); self-confidence
Nationally, police turnover is at * 11%, with higher turn-
(Rajender et al., 2017); performance appraisals (Kampkot-
over in agencies that are smaller, and located in the south,
ter, 2017); income (Gazioglu and Tansel, 2006); promo-
in rural areas and in municipalities (Wareham et al., 2015).
tions (Kosteas, 2011); performance goal orientation
It is estimated that the cost of losing a qualified candidate
(Baek-Kyoo and Park, 2010); ethical climate (Schwepker,
ranges from one to five times the salary of the employee
2001); and access to internet technology (Castellacci and
(Orrick, 2008). These costs are higher for the police than
Vinas-Bardolet, 2019). In sum, job satisfaction tends to
for other organizations (Wareham et al., 2015).
be shaped more by factors in the work environment
Studies have found that officers left the police because
than by the personal characteristics of the employee
they had issues with lack of enjoyment, nepotism, lack of
(Johnson, 2012).
opportunities after an injury, personal need for change and
In looking at what increases job satisfaction, Herzberg’s
for practical considerations (Howes and Goodman-
Two Factor Theory identifies motivating factors that lead
Delahunty, 2015). Officers who leave also tend to be more
to satisfaction in the workplace and hygiene factors that
carefree, lack attention to detail and are impulsive (Drew
lead to dissatisfaction. Key motivational factors include
et al., 2008). In a study that looked at why officers volun-
achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility,
tarily left municipal agencies in one state (Vermont), four
advancement and growth. Key variables that lead to dissa-
reasons were identified: job (salary, benefits, and satisfac-
tisfaction and lack of motivation (hygiene factors) include
tion); frustration with the department; frustration with the
supervision, working conditions, interpersonal relations,
justice system; and job and family stress (Vermont Crimi-
pay and job security, and company policies. According to
nal Justice Center, 1990).
this theory, a manager should first seek to eliminate the
One study (Wolfe et al., 2018) explored job satisfaction
things that are causing dissatisfaction; once there is no
by connecting it to organizational justice, that is, the fair-
dissatisfaction, a manager can work on the motivating fac-
ness in which immediate and sector leader supervisors
tors (Griffin and Moorehead, 2012).
treated their subordinates. According to the researchers,
Organizational commitment is a multidimensional con-
law enforcement officers likely have more psychological
struct that is often divided into three categories: affective
uncertainty about their job, therefore making the focus of
(emotional attachment), perceived cost to leave (continu-
fairness an important variable. Results showed a positive
ance) and obligation to stay (normative) (N. Allen and
correlation for those officers who were facing some type of
Hilal and Litsey
75
uncertainty (negative publicity and general work place
reflection of the respondents’ past law enforcement expe-
uncertainty).
rience, thereby making them reconstructive.
Organizational justice can further be divided into distri-
A snowball sampling technique was used because there
butive (fairness in outcomes) and procedural (fairness in
is no known publicly available list from which to select the
procedures), both of which have been found to be associ-
sample. The process started with both authors sending out
ated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment
...
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