Some of the best police departments in the country still lose out on experienced officers to agencies with a fraction of their reputation.
The problem usually isn’t pay, benefits, or leadership. Most departments competing for laterals offer all three. The problem is that a lateral candidate, someone who already knows the job, already has options, and is actively comparing agencies, has no easy way to tell your department apart from the next one on their list.
Departments across the country are leaning harder into lateral hiring right now. Seattle Police Department reported as many lateral hires in 2025 as in the previous five years combined, a sign of how much weight agencies are putting on experienced candidates to fill staffing gaps faster than academy classes can. That means the competition for laterals isn’t just local anymore. It’s national.
Why do lateral officers pass over great departments?
Short answer: Lateral candidates aren’t comparing job descriptions. They’re comparing cultures, career paths, and what their day-to-day will actually look like, and they’re making that comparison fast. If your department hasn’t clearly communicated what sets it apart, an experienced officer has no reason to choose you over an agency offering similar pay with a clearer pitch.
A Lateral Candidate Is Not a New Recruit
New recruits are often evaluating whether law enforcement is the right career at all. Lateral candidates have already answered that question. They’re evaluating whether your department is a better fit than the one they’re currently in, or the three other agencies also trying to hire them.
That changes what they’re looking for. They want to know about specialty units, promotional timelines, take-home car policies, shift bidding, and how your leadership actually treats experienced officers day to day. A generic recruiting message built for entry-level applicants rarely answers any of it.
Retention Data Explains Why the Lateral Pool Exists
Lateral hiring only works if there are experienced officers willing to move, and there’s a reason that pool keeps growing. Industry research on recruitment and retention has found that officer resignations tend to happen within the first five years of service, most often driven by higher pay at another agency, better career growth opportunities elsewhere, or general dissatisfaction with the job. Every one of those officers is a potential lateral candidate for a department that can show them something better.
What Actually Moves a Lateral Candidate
Departments that consistently win laterals tend to do three things well. They lead with what makes their agency different, not generic slogans about pay and benefits. They show real officers and real assignments instead of stock photography. And they make the lateral process itself easy to understand, since experienced officers have less patience for a confusing hiring process than a first-time applicant does.
At Epic Recruiting, our first conversation with a new client isn’t about advertising spend. It’s about identifying what genuinely sets a department apart, so that message can carry through the recruiting website, video, photography, and outreach aimed specifically at lateral candidates. Learn more about our recruiting strategy services.
The Opportunity Is Bigger Than It Looks
A department that becomes known as a strong destination for laterals isn’t just filling vacancies faster. It’s building a reputation that keeps paying off, because experienced officers talk to other experienced officers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do experienced officers choose one department over another? Lateral candidates weigh culture, career growth, leadership, and day-to-day quality of life alongside pay and benefits. Departments that communicate those details clearly are more likely to stand out.
What is lateral police recruitment? Lateral recruitment refers to hiring already-certified officers from another agency, rather than academy recruits, allowing departments to fill vacancies with experienced personnel who typically require less training time.
How can departments attract more lateral candidates? Agencies that clearly show their culture, specialty assignments, and career paths, and that simplify the lateral hiring process, are better positioned to attract experienced officers who already have other options.
Ready to Become the Department Laterals Choose?
Experienced officers have options, and they’re comparing departments fast. Epic Recruiting helps agencies identify what genuinely sets them apart and build that message into a recruiting website, video, photography, and outreach built specifically for lateral candidates.
