External and Internal Constructs

Recruitment in the law enforcement community is affected in many ways. Whether your police department is large (over 500 sworn personnel) or small (less than 500 sworn personnel) the ability to effectively recruit qualified candidates can be difficult. There are specifically, however, two major factors that effect the recruitment and selection of qualified applicants; internal and external constructs. The internal and external constructs of an agency can and always will effect the recruitment of qualified applicants.

Marketing a law enforcement agency must be a departmental endeavor if it is to be successful. Regardless of the size of the department, every member of the agency must be on board. From the patrolman to the desk clerk, from the union president to the chief of police, every individual involved with the department and every employee of the department must have the same desire to hire the best candidates. This is the internal construct of an agency. By definition, an internal construct is that force internally which affects a particular entity or unit.

External constructs are the environmental and external views and beliefs of the area, city, or state in which an agency recruits. The external construct of a police agency does not have to be only within the department’s jurisdictional boundaries but anywhere the agency can be or has been viewed. Take, for example, the Los Angeles Police Department. Anyone who has watched television within the past forty years can tell you the motto of the LAPD….“to protect and to serve”. This motto is on every LAPD car door and is seen in just about every motion picture that has something to do with Los Angeles.

This is an external construct. The views of the LAPD and the reputation of that agency are not only based within the region in which it is responsible for patrolling but within the United States and even the world. If you ask any person, even if they have not visited Los Angeles or know anyone within LAPD, they will probably tell you that LAPD is known as a premier police agency. This is not only because it may be true to some, but it is also based on the hundreds of television shows, movies, and productions that involve the Los Angeles Police Department. From “Dragnet” to “Speed” LAPD is known as one of the greatest law enforcement agencies in the world.

To be an effective recruiter you must learn to use external and internal constructs to your advantage.