Practitioner Interview

RUNNING HEAD : Issues in Police Recruitment

Issues in Police Recruitment

Introduction

Nobody doubts that police officers endanger their lives as they work to protect their communities . Officer Kent has served the Recruitment Background Unit of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for the past two years . Introduced to him by a friend in Nashville , the interviewer hoped to gain invaluable insights about the salient issues of police recruiting . The main purpose of the telephone interview was to receive a police recruitment officer 's answer the following question What it is that

attracts an individual to take up the dangerous role of a police officer

The Interview

The interview went smoothly in part because the subject matter was not concerned with the use of discretion . Officer Kent did not have to name individuals or entities to explain his answers . All of his responses were based on theories of police recruitment . He mentioned that there are four issues that essentially determine whether the police force can be sustained (1 ) Police officers should have competitive salaries (2 ) There should be sustainable benefits to complement their salaries (3 ) Police officers should have degrees and (4 ) The fact that police officers are generally satisfied with their jobs should be publicized in to attract fresh entrants (Officer Kent , 2008

It was easy for the interviewer to understand the first three issues mentioned by the police recruitment officer . The fourth issue required further explanation , seeing that the interviewer had posed the initial question with reference to dangers...