RTI researchers examine strategies to increase police retention

New paper published by RTI Press highlights challenges, strategies and future research directions to address police turnover

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Experts at RTI International, an independent, scientific research institute, have authored a new paper that reviews the factors contributing to police turnover and offers strategies that could enhance officer retention.

The paper synthesizes findings from both policing research and related fields and organizes retention strategies into five key categories: compensation and financial incentives, career development and professional growth, workplace environment and support, wellness and resilience, and feedback and organizational learning.

"Maintaining adequate staffing levels to ensure public safety is a critical challenge for law enforcement agencies, especially with rising turnover," said lead author Katherine Hoogesteyn, Ph.D., a legal psychologist at RTI. "Our research highlights the need for innovative retention strategies and continuous evaluation processes to promote sustained officer retention."

The authors discuss the current state of evidence on retention strategies across several areas:

• Increasing officer compensation
• Implementing mentorship and networking programs
• Strengthening police-community relations
• Incorporating wellness and resilience training and promoting work-life balance programs
• Conducting exit and stay interviews to identify turnover causes

The paper also identifies gaps in the current research and emphasizes the need for long-term studies on different forms of turnover, the relative effectiveness of retention strategies and the contextual factors that impact their success. It calls for a holistic approach to retention research that includes all agency staff, not just sworn officers.

RTI Press, a global publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access publication, published the paper. 

Read the full paper (via RTI Press)