This report is the result of research conducted by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), pursuant to an agreement with the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera), to gather information from local government leaders and staff, police chiefs, police union representatives, and citizens. The survey targeted communities of varying sizes in different regions of the country to better understand the characteristics sought in the “model” police officer, and to address:
• What is the current state of police officer
recruiting?
• Who should jurisdictions recruit?
• How do they reach those candidates?
• How should they conduct the onboarding and training process?
• If their goal is to engage the new recruits with the community, what are the best methods of doing so?
