PERF Survey Reveals Increase in Police Hires, Decreased Resignations and Retirements Amidst Staff Shortages

A report by Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a nonprofit policing research organization based in Washington D.C., reveals an increase in police officers hired across the United States for 2023, surpassing figures from any of the previous four years. The survey also shows that fewer officers resigned or retired last year compared to 2022. However, some departments are still struggling with staff shortages due to a historic exodus in 2020 triggered by protests against police brutality following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officials. As more and more officers left their posts during this period, many had to redeploy resources away from investigative work or quality-of-life issues such as abandoned vehicles or noise violations in order to handle increases in crime while also dealing with staff shortages that led to slower response times or limiting responses only to emergencies. While smaller departments still have a higher rate of resignation and retirement, larger agencies are now more than 5% below their pre-pandemic levels despite experiencing an annual increase from the previous year (2022). The survey also revealed that small departments with fewer than fifty officers continue to struggle due to staff shortages. Police unions and several police departments did not respond when contacted by Associated Press regarding increased hiring, but PERF’s executive director Chuck Wexler explained that many are still struggling to attract and retain officers despite the overall improvement in retention rates since 2019 at large agencies with over two hundred fifty officers and medium-sized agencies between fifty and two hundred forty-nine officers. In contrast, smaller departments experienced more resignations in early pandemic times compared to later stages, yet many disbanded altogether due to staff shortages leaving municipalities they once served reliant on state or county help for policing services. Some larger departments have increased officer pay while others offer incentives such as signing bonuses and transfers from smaller agencies that are struggling with high resignation rates in order to compete against these offers, but even some of the highest-paying large departments still face challenges when it comes to hiring new officers due to how people perceive their jobs. Wexler suggests that improving support for police officers could help address this issue as he believes “it’s about the way people perceive their job and feel they are going to be supported.” PERF’s survey also revealed a more than 20% drop in resignations overall, from almost six thousand five hundred in 2022 to fewer than fifty-one hundred in 2023. The rate of decrease in retirements varied by department size; there were fewer retirees at large departments compared to pre-pandemic levels (19), slightly more retirements at medium agencies, and elevated retirement rates among small departments. Austin resident Lauren Klinefelter shared her experience with staff shortages during this period stating that police defunding in 2020 left an impact on families within the area; yet the increase hiring reported by PERF’s survey offers hope for a positive turnaround, although some remain cautious about lowering standards to fill vacancies. Maria “Maki” Haberfeld from John Jay College of Criminal Justice also expressed concerns that departments have been too focused on officer numbers and are now loosening education requirements or hiring process thresholds rather than striving for the best personnel required to police their communities in order to tackle societal issues, stating that policing is a profession requiring more skills and education compared to past assumptions. She further warned of potential staff losses if departments continue focusing too heavily on increasing numbers due to concerns surrounding negative public sentiment as illustrated by protests against Israeli-Hamas conflicts witnessed at various university campuses throughout the United States recently.