Over the past five years, police departments across the country have seen a necessary increase in the hiring of new employees. Conversely, these same agencies are finding it increasingly difficult to retain their employees. I'll touch on a few possible reasons why and this story may be repeating itself. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay In a July 2004 NIJ study, Dr. C. Koper of the University of Pennsylvania found the following statistics: In due to increasing crime rates in Between the 1980s and early 1990s, Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. This legislation included the Public Safety and Community Policing Act (creating the COPS program), which included funds to put 100,000 additional police officers on the nation's streets. . Just over half of the nation's police departments saw increases in their numbers between 1996 and 1999. The number of good recruits was declining nationwide in the summer of 2000. More than half of small police departments and Two-thirds of large departments with vacancies reported a lack of qualified candidates made filling those slots difficult. The reasons have not been examined. Here are some possible explanations: A strong economy may have diverted good candidates and experienced law enforcement officers to higher-paying jobs. Increasing training requirements for candidates may have limited the number of recruits. This effect would likely have been compounded by the economy's attractiveness to college-educated potential applicants. Negative publicity over issues such as racial profiling and excessive use of force may have discouraged people from wanting to join the profession. Five years earlier, it may also have contributed to the shortage by drying up the applicant pool and intensifying competition for recruits between police departments. Today we face most, if not all, of these same problems. Years ago, when hiring began, most candidates were looking for good pay, benefits, and job security. We will call these lower-order motivational needs. Today’s candidates seek to satisfy higher-order “hygiene needs” of belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. Agents hired today are looking for stimulating work environments and problem-solving opportunities. When these needs are not met for a prolonged period of time, it causes internal conflicts within the individual. Other contributing factors: Lack of career advancement or better opportunities – Other agencies have often used this against agencies as a way to attract employees. Poor supervision or leadership – It is very important for an employee to have a positive relationship with their immediate supervisor. This will greatly influence their decision to stay or go elsewhere. Inadequate recognition – Positive reinforcement is the simplest, cheapest and best way to improve their performance and job satisfaction. Inadequate Training – Today’s agents view training as an opportunity to improve their skills and become more effective. If departments don't provide these opportunities, they will start looking for other agencies that do. Agencies also face another worrying problem. Experienced officers from the 90s are now retiring. This creates a gap.