Recruiting a new officer is only half the battle. The other half? Keeping them.
Police officer retention has become one of the most urgent issues in law enforcement today. Departments are filling classes, running new officers through the academy, and then watching them walk out the door a few years later. It is a cycle that costs agencies time, money, and institutional knowledge they cannot afford to lose.
The problem is real, and the numbers back it up. Annual attrition rates have increased from 7.4% in 2019 to 9.8% in 2024. Meanwhile, a 2023 study found that police resignations increased by 47% from 2019 to 2022, with retirements rising 19% in the same period. Because of those departures, 65% of agencies now report having to reduce services or eliminate specialized units due to staffing shortages. That number was just 25% in 2019.
So why are officers leaving? And what does that have to do with recruiting?
Why Officers Leave
According to the 2024 IACP Recruitment and Retention Survey, the most common reasons officers resign include higher pay at another agency, better career growth opportunities elsewhere, and work-life balance concerns like long shifts and burnout. The IACP survey also notes that most retention issues happen within the first five years of employment. Officers either realize the career is not what they expected, or they find a better offer somewhere else.
That second point matters. If an officer leaves for a competing agency because the pay is higher, that is both a retention problem and a recruiting problem. Your department essentially paid to train a candidate for someone else.
Where Recruiting Fits In
Here is the thing: retention starts during recruiting, not after.
If your recruitment messaging promises one experience and your department delivers another, you will see officers leave early. Realistic job previews, authentic storytelling, and transparent communication about what the role actually looks like all improve long-term retention. Officers who join with accurate expectations are more likely to stay.
Additionally, if you are only recruiting reactively, you are constantly behind. Filling a class after officers leave means you are always playing catch-up. A proactive recruiting strategy that builds a consistent pipeline keeps your staffing levels stable even when turnover happens.
What Actually Works
Agencies that focus on long-term retention alongside recruiting are seeing better outcomes. Mentorship programs, wellness initiatives, and clear career development paths all reduce early departures. However, those efforts only have a chance to work if you get the right people through the door first.
That means recruiting candidates who are a genuine fit for your department’s culture and expectations. It means telling your story honestly through video content and digital outreach that reflects what the job is actually like. And it means not waiting until the exit interview to figure out why people are leaving.
If your department is struggling with turnover, the solution likely starts earlier than you think. Epic Recruiting helps agencies build recruiting strategies that attract the right candidates from day one, so that retention becomes a natural outcome instead of a constant battle.
