Retention: Keeping young officers in the game

By Mike Simmons

Retention: Keeping young officers in the game

I had been looking for it, but it seemed like it would never come. Finally, one day, I opened the mailbox and…there it was. But would it bring good news or bad? I was anxious to open the letter for fear of rejection. Slowly I opened it and, YES! A letter of acceptance. I had been hired as a police officer! My new career had begun.

The year was 1985, and I wanted to be a policeman. I really hadn’t considered anything else. I knew, like all other young people, that I had to work somewhere in order to live – keep the lights on, feed the family, etc. It wasn’t an option. And…it needed to be a career. I needed to be able to identify with my job and to get better at it. Sure, it would take time to learn more about policing, but that was the meaning of having a career. I was excited. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that I wanted to spend the next 30 years there, and I did.

I now work at the Criminal Justice Training Center where the basic recruit training for corrections and law enforcement is held. I have been a part-time adjunct instructor there since 1988 and full-time for the past five years, and, besides not having to ride horses and use coal oil lamps for light, I have noticed some definite changes since I went through “in the dark ages.”

Awareness: As a rule, it seems that the students that enter the academies are smarter. By smarter, I mean they seem to have their head in the ball game more than we did when I went through. They are more aware of the occurrences across the globe, and of the mindset of society in general, and of local society in particular. I guess this is due, at least in part, to the instant availability of news through the Internet.

Education: Many of us – MOST of us in my generation had a high school education and few considered going further than that with their education. Like the previous generation, we knew we had to “get a job” in order to make it in the world. So, we were more or less ignorant compared to the students today. Many of them already have some college experience, if not a degree.

Respect: “Didn’t you see me talking, Simmons?” said the speaker from the front of the class. “Why don’t you shut your mouth when someone else is speaking? Did your parents raise you in a barn?” My answer to that ‘question’ was “Yessir, I am sorry. It won’t happen again.” I shut up and listened. Maybe that wasn’t the best way for a speaker to address a student, but I knew my part – to shut up. That man in front of the class was a six-star general as far as I was concerned, and he held my future in his hand. He was right – he had years of knowledge and experience, and I had…none. I respected him so much that I shut up and listened to what he had to say…I was also scared to death.

Today, a student is likely to not only take a dressing-down with humility, but to actually backtalk the speaker. There is a demand of “I will be respected.” This is what I tell students about respect. “I will be polite to you, but you must show me something before I can respect you.” Gotta have skin in the game.

Commitment: Fewer students seemed to be committed, not only to a certain law enforcement agency that they work for or are aspiring to work for, but to the law enforcement profession in general. I have had many students who have come to me mid-academy and said, “Well, I don’t know if I want to continue. This isn’t as much fun as I thought.” Huh?

Focus: I remember thinking, “I had better learn everything I can about police work. My job, my career, and my family depend on it.” I was focused on becoming the best officer I could be. Many of the students today are committed, but it seems like they are fewer in number than in the past. Sure, life is busier than ever, and the attention of people is demanded in more directions than ever. However, if students are to learn how to do the job, it is advantageous – no, it is necessary for them to listen to the expert that is teaching them.

Retention is a problem: I don’t know if the subjects I listed are part of the reason, but many of today’s students go into their career with no intention of staying. The national average for a law enforcement officer staying at one agency is 5-7 years. Of course, I hear things like, “I don’t enjoy it,” “I can get a new car at ____________ agency if I leave here go to work for them,” or “I haven’t been promoted fast enough. They don’t understand my talent.” While much of this is immature whining, It might have something to do with this generation.

Here is the problem: If we can’t retain officers more than 5-7 years, how are we ever going to be able to rely on experience to handle the problems that come up in law enforcement daily? What can be done to increase retention?