Police Recruiting Concepts

Commitment...

2010-09-27T14:30:00.000-04:00

How is your commitment? I don’t mean commitment as in your marriage or in a relationship...I don’t even mean committed like you need to be put in the “nut house”. What I’m talking about is the type of commitment the people working in your office need to have. How committed are they to the cause?

So first things first...what is your cause? Your cause is recruiting the best applicants for the job with the best diversity which reflects your community. Easy enough right? Wrong if you don’t have the commitment if your staff. This is where the rubber meets the road. How dedicated and committed are the people who work for you?

I will be the first to say that I couldn’t have done half the things I’ve done in the world of police recruiting had it not been for the people who work for me. Each one of them is special in there own way and have their own specialities as well. I will always be in their debt.

To begin, starting with the highest in seniority, I have my wise old owl, or like some people in the unit call him “old and busted”. He is the one that handles everything while I’m gone and he is also the one person that if he complains I know to really listen. Next comes my “investigator”. She is the one person in the unit that takes the background investigations to a whole new level. She turns every investigation into a full blown crime scene investigation and has the best judgment to go with it...can’t get any better than that! The next person in seniority is my artist. He is the person who thinks “out of the box”, although he would probably hate to hear me say that. Next we have the last person to join the unit. No matter what is going on, she is always willing to be there. I like to think of her as the “rock”. Always vigilant and always strong, always ready to take on more than she should. Finally, we have our personnel specialist in the unit. Without her the office wouldn’t function. Not only is she my right hand but handles all the scheduling for the unit.

So, there you have it...the team. Now I’m not saying that each of them doesn’t have their share of negatives, but they are truly the best group of people I’ve ever worked with. Notice I didn’t say “...have ever worked for me?” That’s because in the unit we work together. The unit is not run like a typical police unit, but more like a private family owned business. When we need to pull together we do, but I trust everyone to do their job without having to be micromanaged.

But what makes the team the best I’ve ever been a part of is their commitment to the job. Even on days where we are all at each other’s throats, the team stays committed to the job, the focus of finding the best applicant’s for the job. This is true commitment. Just like a family the team is committed to each other but also to the greater goal...the greater purpose.

So, do you want to make a difference in your recruiting? Find a team of people who are committed to the task at hand. You can’t get any better than that.

CHEAP RECRUITING FOUND HERE!

2010-08-25T12:34:00.001-04:00

So what do you do when you don’t have money and you don’t have the luxury of buying your media? Well there are a number of free marketing activities that you can engage in and every one of them really doesn’t cost anything more than your time.

1. Visit your local college campus! Now most police recruiters will go to college career fairs, but have you ever taken the time to walk the campus and visit with students, especially within universities who have criminal justice curriculums? You will be surprised how reception staff, students and faculty will be if you ask to speak to their classes or even just socialize before or after class.

2. Make friends with the local media! Take the time to chat with your local media station and ask them if they would be willing to broadcast a story on your recruiting efforts and need for applications. It is free and will give you some really great exposure, regardless as to whether it is a video or written story.

3. Steal from the police! Have you ever targeted other police agencies in your area? Take the time to visit other police departments and get to know their officers. Recruit like a college NFL coach, find the best and bring them to your department!

4. Work the military angle! Take the time to visit the military installations or even small reserve units. What a great way to bring some very qualified applicants to your department, not to mention this is a great way to establish a rapport with the military leaders in your city or community.

Recruiting without money is not as hard as you may think, but it just takes time to work out some of the minor details. Remember, money really doesn’t grow on trees but especially on the tree of the government sector.

Morale...it stinks!

2010-08-04T23:03:00.000-04:00

Morale…it stinks!

So how is morale currently within your department? Well, unless you give out Xanax or Prozac at every roll call, I’m sure you always have a morale issue. I can truly say after 18 years I’ve never had a time when there wasn’t someone in my department and any other department for that matter, that didn’t have a bad morale problem. So why is morale a recruiter’s issue?

Let’s look at the following equation:

Positive Morale + Positive Retention = Effective Recruitment

What does this equation mean? It means that the best recruiters for any agency are the officers currently patrolled the streets. They are salesmen and saleswomen of every agency and if morale is bad and retention is an issue, then recruitment is definitely compromised. To have effective recruitment by your front line officers they must have a sense of pride, a sense of honor and their morale must be high.

Now as we all know, morale starts from the top and works its way down. If the Chief of Police or top city official is making decisions that directly attack the rank and file officers, you can’t do much to correct the morale issue. However, there are some minor front line supervisor’s suggestions that I do have to make a difference in the morale within your platoon, division, district or unit.

1. Reward officer’s good behavior. Just like we reward our children when they make good grades or good decisions, supervisors should reward their officers when they do the right thing, make a good arrest, or even just overall do a good job. Letters of commendation are always nice, but what about mailing them a letter of gratitude or even throwing your platoon a party at the division or district. Treat your officers like you would like to be treated and the reward really will be yours!
2. Provide officer’s with training. I know during the current recession that rewarding officers with requested training is not an easy thing to do but there are ways around the money issue. For example, look for federally funded courses and take the time to possibly forge partnerships so that funding can come from other sources.
3. Take time to make time. Take the time to allow your officers to have times to vent without negative impacts from supervisors. Make time to allow officers to feel free to do special details or focus on the issues they want to focus on. Heck, we give these officers the ability to take peoples rights away and even use deadly force if necessary, so why don’t we take the time to let them work they want to work.

Morale is something that is always an issue and always will be an issue. You will always have glass half empty officers in every department. The question is can you help them out by occasionally filling their glass?

Recruiting with Flair!

2010-08-04T23:02:00.001-04:00

Recruiting with flair…

So what type of advertisement catches your eye? Is it one with an attractive woman or man? What about the colors they use or the scenery employed by the creator? Could it be just the product that captures your attention or even just the name brand?

This month we look at the use of flair in recruiting. So what is “flair” in regards to recruiting for law enforcement? Flair can be different things to different people. For example, I think of flair as something that gives the advertisement a special sense of style that no other product can give. Take the advertisements currently on the market for Mountain Dew, the “Do the Dew” commercials. The flair those commercials have relates to the new “X” generation, the “I want it now” generation, where information is immediate and up front. The commercials are exciting, fast paced and intense. Another example on the opposite end of the spectrum would be the Webster University commercials, where you hear majestic, regal type music in the background and a very intelligent orator tells you how great it would be for you to obtain your MBA at Webster’s University.

But again, what would be “flair” in a police recruiting environment? Well, for starters, think about the colors of your agency. Let’s say your departmental colors are a dark shade of green and white…then use those colors as the flair for your advertisements. But colors aren’t the only way to increase flair, what about an interesting picture or scenery. A great example of this form of flair would be highlighting your mounted patrol in an advertisement or displaying your Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT). Regardless of the flair you choose, it must be the three “B’s”:

1. Bold
2. Brilliant
3. Bada$$ (yes, that’s right!)

For the flair to be bold, it must stand out above all others in your target range. Therefore, you are competing against other law enforcement agencies and other first responders, so your flair must have a bold approach. As for brilliant, your flair must be bright as the top of the Chrysler Building…it must be so amazing that it catches the eye of the local television stations and even maybe the national scene. Finally, your flair must be bada$$! If you want your department to be something that every well fit young man and woman want to go to then your department must look and be the agency that fits their particular desires…it must be promoted to be the best of the best…the bada$$ agency of the US!

Now go and bring your three “B’s” to life!

Social Media...

2010-08-02T23:00:00.001-04:00

Social Media…what’s it all about???

What is social media and how can it help you with recruiting qualified police applicants? Well social media the trend of trends for 2010. Everywhere you go you hear of social media outlets, social media training and now even more than ever social media clubs. But what actually is social media? Social media is defined as primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and “building” of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences. Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM).

Now that we have defined social media what can it do for you as a police recruiter? For starters, social media outlets are just one more way of getting your department out in the open. The X generation lives for social media….from Ipods, to Iphones to now Ipads, everything and everyone is at the touch of your fingertips. Therefore, if you have any desire to be known social media outlets are the way to start.

You should begin by starting to create accounts under your agencies name on the various popular social media websites. For example, YouTube. YouTube is a very popular video social media website where you can upload your favorite videos. YouTube is the reason all of our female teenagers are drooling over Justin Beiber. Beiber, a young teenage pop star became famous because his mother started putting his homemade music videos on YouTube. Believe it or not, he was discovered off YouTube and now we have to pay $100-$150.00 a ticket for our daughters to go to his concerts. This is a perfect example of how social media can make a difference in the life of a person and your own police department. So start by putting your department commercials and public service announcements on YouTube and you will be surprised how many hits they will get.

Another form of social media is Facebook. Now most of us who have any type of computer knowledge more than likely already have a Facebook account. However, does you police department have one? If not, start one today. It is a great way to boost popularity and it is also a great way to disseminate information to your citizens.

Social media continues to change our lives along with the various tools that follow it. Are you keeping up with the changing of the times? If not, you and your department will be seriously hurt.

Books and More Books....

2010-05-16T22:04:00.001-04:00

When you become a police recruiter, as mentioned in some of my earlier postings, you stop thinking like a police officer and start thinking more like a marketing specialist. Now this doesn’t mean you have to go out and get a degree in marketing, BUT you must take the time to learn the tricks of the trade. To do so, I have compiled a list of certain books that will help you in this endeavor along with a short description of each.

The first book that I consider the Bible of the police recruiting world is The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout. This book truly changed the way I thought about recruiting and continues to be a resource for when I feel that I am starting to stray away from my mission – To recruit the best and most qualified police applicants that I can. As you read this book, you will find that Ries and Trout break down recruiting into various laws (22 as the title points out). Some of the laws can be easily applied to the law enforcement and emergency management community while others not so much. For example, the Law of the Mind, which states that it is better to be first in someone’s mind than first in the marketplace. So if we are talking about police departments and I said “to protect and serve” which agency comes to your mind? Of course LAPD! Therefore, LAPD is in the mind not just in the marketplace (although LAPD is also in the marketplace…thank you television and movies!).

The next book is Punk Marketing. Punk Marketing was written by Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons. This is a very contemporary type book which looks at branding and the use of technology. The book is a very interesting read and will keep you amused. One particular section of the book that I find fascinating is chapter 3, Brand Not Bland. This chapter looks into the reason why some brands are better than others and provides some very interesting facts on the use of branding.

The third and final book that I would suggest looking into is not a marketing book but a book on service. The book, Positively Outrageous Service by T. Scott Gross, provides several stories about various employees from different companies who go above and beyond the call of duty. This same type of service should be mirrored within a police recruiting unit. For example, if you are testing out of town applicants and you require those applicants to come to your agency for testing, try to limit the number of visits by combining testing.

These books can be purchased through Amazon.com and other internet book stores. I would also strongly suggest looking to other books on marketing. You may be surprised in the improvements that you can make and how many of these changes cost little to no money at all.

Keep up the marketing....

2009-12-20T01:20:00.002-05:00

As most of you who are full time recruiters know by now the amount of applications you are receiving continues to rise due to the current economic status. I myself am more than happy with the vast amount of well body men and women who continue to desire a job with my department. However as with everything that goes up must come down, so will the current flow of applications and with that the need for marketing and recruiting.

If your department is like most around the Untied States and worldwide, once the application pool increases to an acceptable rate, the upper command decide that there is not much of a need in the area of recruiting, specifically in the area of money. Funding for marketing is usually the first to be cut, with manpower being second. I can not urge you enough to educate your upper command staff on the need for consistent marketing. Even when the economy is so low that everyone seems to be applying for a job in the field of law enforcement, having the name recognition and branding for your agency is imperative for when the market grows to the point whereby we are once again haunted by a lack of interested bodies.

Remember the golden rule..."He who has the gold, rules!" Follow this same advice in police recruitment and marketing!

Recruiting versus Advertising…

2009-10-04T23:45:00.001-04:00

So have you ever thought about the difference between recruiting and advertising? Is there a difference? Well, I’m here to tell you there “is” a difference. By using appropriate advertising, even if it is not for recruiting, you can still increase city and nationwide exposure for hiring.

For example, a couple years ago my agency launched a citywide campaign on our newly formed crime/tip line. This endeavor was headed mainly up by one of the department’s Assistant Chiefs of Police. The campaign was a tremendous success which brought the department tons of positive publicity along with allowing us to solve a large number of crimes. How did this help with recruiting? By the mass marketing campaign launched for the tip line, an increased awareness and perceived need for personnel was also gained in the eyes of the public. In several instances, citizens would call the tip line to request information on how to apply for the department. Therefore with the appropriate advertising applications will rise.

So why do people want to become police officers?

2009-08-04T18:54:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wondered why people become police officers? Do you remember why you became an officer? It is sad to say but after polling 50 police officers who had over 10 years experience, less than half could remember their exact reasons for wanting to become a badge.
So I ask you again, do you know why people become police officers? If you don’t you should start polling people in your city, county or state now. Every region will be different but many will have similarities. For example, the following two questions were used during my last survey, among 8 others. The survey was sent out to members of my agency who had less than 2 years of service.

1. Why did you want to become a police officer?
a. For the money and/or benefits.
b. For the honor and prestige of the job.
c. Because I was just looking for a career change.
d. None of the above, please explain.

2. Why did you apply for the ____________ Police Department?
a. For the money/or benefits.
b. For the honor and prestige of the job.
c. Because I was just looking for work in our city and the Department was hiring.
d. None of the above, please explain.

With these two questions alone I found that almost 90% of the 300 officers that I polled applied for the honor and prestige of the job. Only 30% applied for my particular agency because of the location while 60% applied for my agency due to the honor and prestige the position holds.

So what did my survey show? It proved to me that the best way to recruit is not with benefits or money but with showing the honor and prestige of the job. A good example of this type of marketing is with the United States Marine Corp. The United States Marine Corp has consistently increased their recruiting numbers by focusing their advertisements on the honor and prestige of becoming a Marine. One of their recent campaign slogans is a perfect example of this type of marketing. The slogan is “We don’t take applications, we take commitments!” This type of slogan not only shows the type of person they are looking for to apply but the type of organization that they foster.

So why do people become police officers? The honor, prestige and respect the position holds. Anyone else who would apply for the job with other reasons may not be the type of person you are looking for.

It is all about the bling...

2009-07-09T19:16:00.003-04:00

Have you ever been so focused on someone’s police uniform that you couldn’t stop staring? Was the patch or badge that kept your gaze? Or the many ribbons or specialty unit pins the person had earned the right to wear?

So what does this have to do with recruitment? Well, even though many of us choose to live the simple life at our offices wearing business casual attire, if and when you are in the public at any recruiting function make sure you are in uniform. Make sure, or your personnel, wear every award, ribbon, or specialty pin you have earned. You never know who will get that image in their mind and eventually that image causes that person to apply.

It is truly about the bling…of the uniforms!

Opportunities that come every day....

2009-06-30T19:50:00.001-04:00

How many opportunities a day do you have to make a new friend? How many of those opportunities give you the chance to recruit a potential new applicant for your department? Let's just cover some of the day to day places you meet people:
The local drive-thru! How often do you mention to the person who is taking your money or giving you your food if they have ever considered a career in law enforcement? I mean heck, they are working in a fast food place, I’m sure this is not where they are looking to spend the rest of their lives!

How about the person in the drive-thru behind you? Have you ever bought the food for the car behind you? Maybe not to recruit but as a good gesture? Yeah, I know, it cost money. But what about telling the cashier that you are covering that person's food and ask them nicely to tell the person "This is from your local police officer. Have you ever considered making a difference in someone else's life? We are taking applications!" I know this comes across very corny, but it works. I’ve done it about four times and each time the person, or a family member of that person, has applied.

What about when you are out with you family doing that family stuff that we all do? I’ve recruited four people from my daughter’s gymnastics classes (parents, not the kids!) to apply and one gymnastics instructor. Or what about at their school? We all go to school plays, sports functions, etc. Why not strike up a conversation there with someone?

The point I’m making is that you are a police officer 24/7. So why are you not recruiting 24/7? Isn’t recruiting someone who might change the world for the next 25 years or so is as important as helping stranded motorist or working that motor vehicle accident that you happened upon on your way home? How dedicated of a recruiter are you really?

RECESSION…is it helping us or not?

2009-06-20T23:17:00.001-04:00

Well, by now if your department is taking applications you have probably already noticed a spike in your applications. I personally give the recession at least 10% of the credit for my current spike in applications. But does this spike and increase in applications help?

To appropriately answer that question you must look at the applicants who are applying. So far, I believe the current recession is only bringing good looking numbers but more unqualified, less dedicated applicants to the table. When people begin job hunting they are hoping to find a stable position that will “bring home the bacon” no matter what it takes. Law enforcement is typically, not always, but again typically one of the few jobs that you don’t normally have to worry about layoffs. Therefore, the job is appealing and very attractive to most. Unfortunately this brings out the person who really is not aware of what the job truly entails.

Recession therefore equals good stats but questionable applicants!

Research, Research and MORE Research....

2009-06-03T00:31:00.002-04:00

Research is one of the most crucial elements of a good recruiter. If your agency is like mine, you have set standards that a person must possess to even qualify to apply. For example, my agency requires a minimum of 60 college “semester” hours. Therefore if I want to recruit people that fit this particular demographic I need to do some research and find out exactly where would be the best place within my city, state or surrounding states to recruit.

Last year, I decided to recruit heavily in Kentucky. Louisville, being the largest city, I believed would have the largest educational workforce within the state. To my surprise, my research showed that the majority of educationally driven members of society between the ages of 21-31 resided in Lexington, Kentucky (home of the University of Kentucky). Thereby making this the target of my major recruiting for the 2007-2008 recruiting year.

Did this work? My college educated applicants did increase 10% with 8% of those applications coming from the Lexington region.

So remember, research, research, research! Don’t be lazy when recruiting. Be effective, be efficient, and do your research.

The Right Tools for the Job....

2009-05-31T18:21:00.005-04:00

As many of you have probably already experienced, the current economic crisis has put a damper on a lot of our budgets. If your agency as like many who contract out the work for poster design and other art work, then you need to re-think you current situation.

So what I suggest is something that does take a limited amount of money, a lot of time, but is a cheap and effective way to create your own art.
(1) For starters, find that officer or civilian within your department who is young, into computers and possibly into graphic art design (seems to be the current trend anyway!).
(2) Purchase the "full" version of Adobe Photoshop (you can get Photoshop Elements but I would suggest forking out the few hundred dollars for the full version if you can).
(3) Get this officer or civilian trainee in Photoshop (it costs in Louisville, KY about $500 for a level 1 class and $700 for a level 2 class in Photoshop).

Now you have all the necessary tools to create your own posters, billboards, etc. Just understand that being able to work such wonders is not as easy as you think. You need to have a creative mind to design these things. Upon completing your first rough draft of a poster, get various opinions, from inside and outside of the department. Learn to take criticism with your art or you will never learn to how improve.

Lastly, I would suggest buying a huge printer (the largest one your agency will let you buy) so that you can create these beautiful posters and such for framing/display, etc).

So do you think mailers are a good way to advertise?

2009-05-27T17:52:00.002-04:00

How often do you get junk mail? My mailbox is full of it daily. Sometimes I get more junk mail than I do regular mail. So do you think mailers are a good way to advertise?

The majority of most Americans will throw their junk mail away as soon as they bring their mail into their house. A large majority of Americans will occasionally throw a piece of their regular mail away mistakenly with the junk mail. So again, do you think mailers are a good way to advertise?

Politicians use mailers a lot. Most will tell you that when they do it is something large, something bold and something catchy to the eye. However, would you use mailers to advertise?

I would strongly suggest not using mailers for police recruiting. As you can see just from this short amount of information will it really help with your recruiting efforts? I think not.

Text Messaging....

2009-05-27T01:45:00.003-04:00

Text messaging...if you are not doing it well you should be. Now text messaging is more popular on the west coast but it is rapidly making it's way east. Now, if you have a teenager with a cell phone then you know everything you ever wanted to know about text messaging. However, in regard to recruitment there is more than meets the eye...or text.

For starters, the best thing about text messaging is that you can track where people are receiving your text message. This gives you and idea if you marketing campaign are working. The next greatest thing is with most companies you can change your text message as often as you like.

Now the message I would suggest sending out be something about how to apply, who to call or email and the current slogan. Nothing to large or to fancy, just the basic information.

The hardest part about doing text messaging is that it is only as good as you market it. The text information should be on everything you can find within your department. Remember this is the only way people will know how to use it.

Good luck and good texting!

Goodies, it is all about the giveaways!

2009-05-22T17:01:00.002-04:00

So do giveaways really help you recruit? Well, overall the answer is "yes" and "no". Trinkets all depend on what they are and how you use them.

Let's begin by listing some of the more popular police recruiting trinkets:

Key chains
Lapel pins
Pens
Pencils
Mouse pads
Coffee mugs
Magnets
Lanyards (necklace for your keys!)

Okay, all of these trinkets are really good but how effective are they when it comes to recruiting? This depends greatly on where you use them. For example, if you use trinkets at a career fair, most people will come by your table, literally shop around what you have, take what they think is cool or what they believe they can use. So what do you get for this? NOTHING! All that happens is that you spend a lot of money for people to clean you out. So what do you do at a career fair then?

To make a difference at a career fair is not in the amount of trinkets but through the trinket itself. Find a trinket that gains a lot of attention to the point where if you looked down from the sky everyone and anyone near or at the career fair would be advertising for you. For example, about two years ago I, along with my officers, attended our state fair. Now I don't know about you but we never get anyone who really applies from our state fair. So what I did was turn the event into our own marketing event. To start, I purchased about 500 water bottles, bright blue and white, with my departmental logo and application information stamped all over them. Second, I purchased a few hundred "squishy" toys of police hats/badges.

The one day we were assigned to the fair I gave every kid a "squishy" police hat/badge and every adult I could a water bottle. What did this accomplish? We had every vendor, every employee and every patron of the state fair looking for us to get a water bottle. We had a full two or three days of marketing. Now if you are paying attention, you will notice I said we were only there one day, so how did this become a two or three day marketing event? Because we made sure every vendor had some of our items as well. Therefore, the vendors and other exhibit booths were advertising for us.

So what trinkets are the best and worst? The best trinkets are the ones that people carry that everyone sees, such as water bottles, shirts, hats, or lanyards. The worst trinkets are lapel pins (because they really don't advertise for you) or key chains because most people put them in their pockets. Remember, you want to the trinket to advertise for you because giving someone a trinket really isn't going to get someone to apply for you.

Internet Advertising...is it effective?

2009-05-15T17:48:00.003-04:00

For years I was against using internet advertising. I personally hate pop-up windows, I really don't enjoy the extra ads when I do internet searches and I really just hate the advertisements when I'm trying to view something on the web. However, I can honestly say that I was wrong about internet advertising.

Last year, I took the plunge and began advertising online with a couple job seeker type websites, such as Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com. I also took it upon myself to find plenty of free sites to post on as well. What I found was amazing. After one month of advertising, my applications increased dramatically, almost tripled within a month. After that, I was hooked.

However, with every positive, comes a negative. What I later found was that my applications were up however my actual rate of return (applicants showing up for testing) was about the same. You see most of my applicants were from out of state, therefore many of them would fail to come out to test due to the travel or they just were applying to apply (which I never really understand and still don't...I can find so many other ways to spend my time...but I digress). So although my numbers were through the roof my actual rate of return was not so great but it sure pleased my boss with the numbers.

Now regarding who to use, I have found that the actual bigger named type job seeking sites are the best. The ones that have national coverage and such. I also found that most major colleges have free job postings for their students, which I would use like crazy. Finally, I found that advertising on newspaper websites, law enforcement sites and such doesn't really get you much turn around but they do give you exposure.

Overall, two thumbs up for the internet advertising. Like anything else you should investigate what your options are before jumping in. But, I would recommend it if you want an increase in applications at least.

Radio Advertisements

2009-05-13T13:18:00.004-04:00

How many times have you listen to the radio and changed the channel because of an annoying radio commercial? I know that I've done my share of channel surfing because of either to many radio commercials, too much chatter by the DJ, or just because I didn't like the song playing on the radio. Well, you are not alone if you have done this and believe it or not, it is even more common for people to not even use the radio but listen to their IPod or even Satellite Radio.

So why should we advertise on radio? Good question....we really should not unless we have plenty of money to spend. Radio is a dying bred, although it does have it place in recruiting but not how you think. For starters, why pay for radio ads when you can get them for free?

To begin your "free" radio ads, start by becoming friends with the radio station in your area. Request to have on-air interviews to discuss your vacancies or even police related issues such as the academy, what recruits do, or even a day in the life of one of your officers. At the end of the interview however make sure you give a tag line statement about how to apply.

Many sales representatives from radio stations will tell you that you can target a particular audience by the type of music they listen too. But, I know that I, being a white male, late 30's, I listen to various kinds of music depending on my mood. This too is common amongst most people. So if you don't have the funds to cover almost every genre of music then how are you sure you’re getting the people you want?

For what radio costs to advertise, especially with this current market, I would be cautious using it for police recruiting unless you get a really sweet deal. I would look to spend money in other areas such as television before buying radio air time. Of course different people have different opinions on this but again I would suggest you look very closely at using radio before taking the plunge. It is a lot of money and it is very narrow in who you might attract.

The Media, friend or foe?

2009-05-13T11:47:00.004-04:00

Most police officers look at the media as the enemy. In some instances I see where I would agree with them. However in the world of police recruiting the recruiter must make friends with the media to save money and to effectively promote their individual agency.

To start, every time, and I mean every time, you get anything worth reporting you should contact your media representatives. I personally have about 2 people per television news station, two with our local newspaper, and a couple with national news that I contact every time I want a recruiting or selection story covered. When you contact them be prepared to send them a press release of what you or your agency has done or doing.

Now make sure during the interview (so be prepared to be interviewed because you will be the one they corner) that you wear your uniform (The uniform promotes your agency and everyone loves the uniform!), and to have your ending tag line ready.

The tag line should do three things:
1. Tell people who you are.
2. Tell people how to apply.
3. Tell people how to reach you with questions.

For example, "If you are interested in becoming a Metro Police Officer, call (555) 555-5555 or apply now online at www.metropoliceofficer.com". This tag line should be one of the last things you say during your interview. Make sure you ask the reporter/cameraman that they actually use this tag line during the interview. They could talk to you for about 30 minutes and the story will only last for 10 seconds if you’re lucky.

Finally, make friends with the media because they can spin negative stories on recruitment to positive stories if they like you. Most news media people are good at heart and they are just doing their job. Get with your public information officer if you have concerns about a particular news reporter. They can give you all the information you want to know about anyone in the business. But truly, overall, most news media types are good people and are easy to work with.

The Law of Branding

2009-05-13T00:25:00.004-04:00

While on my quest for becoming an effective police recruiter, I began to do what most good police officers do…investigate! For starters, I found a fantastic, and cheap book that helped me understand how to market my agency. The book is “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Ries and Jack Trout. The book is small, an easy read with less than 150 pages or so, and it is extremely cop friendly. The book is basic, to the point and you don’t need a doctoral degree to understand it. The book is a must purchase for any police recruiter.

While reading the book, I began to take out key terms and ideas that would relate directly to law enforcement recruiting since the book is geared toward the private sector. The first concept that I saw that really related to police recruiting is the Law of Leadership. The Law of Leadership states that it is better to be first at something than best in anything. For example, take the following questions that Al Ries and Jack Trout ask in their book:

1. Who was the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean?
2. Who was the second person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean?

The second question isn’t as easy as the first question. However, the second person who flew over the Atlantic Ocean, Bert Hinkler, completed the flight faster and used less fuel. Why didn’t Hinkler get more credit than Charles Lindbergh who was the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean? Because being first is always better than being best!

To apply this to law enforcement recruiting let us examine nationally known SWAT teams (Special Weapons and Tactics Teams). Which United States law enforcement agency is “known” to have the premier SWAT team? Remember the 1970’s television show SWAT? The Los Angeles Police Department right! Or if you are a current television junkie you will probably say Dallas Police SWAT since they have their own show. However many people don’t realize the outstanding efforts and contributions by other great SWAT teams. For example, the Miami-Dade Police Department SWAT Team is becoming nationally known as a trendsetter for all other SWAT teams and is considered to be one of the top SWAT teams in America. So it doesn’t matter if you are the best at something, what does matter is that you are the first! Take the difference between the real and the fictitious understanding of law enforcement. As long as you obtain positive publicity for something you become the expert in the eyes of the public. But, in reality you may not be the best but just viewed that way.

Another great example of this law relates to soft drinks and interestingly enough it can also be compared to law enforcement. If you want something to drink, a soda if you are from up north or a pop if you are from down south, would you ask for a Coca Cola or a Pepsi? Most folks ask for a Coke, which is short for Coca Cola. Regardless of whether or not they want a Pepsi, most people will always ask for a Coke. What better publicly than having the first product become the name that everyone refers to when thinking of that particular item?

Okay, translating this to a police item, what is ECW? ECW stands for Electric Control Weapon…a Taser right?!? Well, Taser is a company, not a product. But the majority of the police and ALL of the public refer to ECW as Taser. What great branding that probably wasn’t even intentional.

One great concept by Ries and Trout is the Law of Focus or what I call the Law of Branding. Some police departments have been lucky enough to become synonymous with a word or phrase. Take the LAPD again, the statement “to protect and to serve.” The Los Angeles Police Department has this statement locked in through the numerous movies and television shows it appears in.

The ability to have a phrase or word branded for your department is expensive, not easy and actually practically impossible. But, if any agency were able to perform such a feet, then congratulations! You have become a marketing legend in the world of law enforcement. Just remember that the branding slogan you create should be original, catchy and model the entire recruiting campaign for your agency.

Billboards

2009-05-12T23:54:00.003-04:00

What recruiting tactics does your agency use to recruit? If you are like most agencies you resort to a billboard and call it quits. Well, your department should be doing more but if you are at least using a billboard, that is a start. But what makes a billboard effective?

First, you must understand that billboards are the most common recruiting tool used by police agencies across the United States. Upon doing a poll of 20 police agencies with 500 officers or less, at least 17 out of the 20 have tried using billboards to recruit. But, do billboards honestly work? The answer is “yes” AND “no”.

Billboards can work to recruit for your agency. However there are several issues that must be overcome when deciding to use a billboard. Just make sure you don’t let any sales associate with a billboard company tell you anything different. Remember, they are there for the sell! Here are a few guidelines to go by:

1. No matter what financial deal they give you, if the location is not fruitful for traffic the billboard is useless – Now if they are willing to give it to you, I don’t care where it is located, but if you are paying for it, demand a high traffic area. You can request statistical data on the amount of traffic the road receives and even when the traffic is most predominant.

2. The billboard is only as good as it can be read – This means that if you place too much information on the billboard no one (unless the area is a gridlock area as seen in the first picture) will be able to read all of the words you have on it. Remember to make your billboard to the point and "eye candy" for the viewer.

3. Billboards are only as good as you make them – Think about some of the billboards that stand out in your mind. To this day you still remember them and you can refer back to what they were for and why they were attractive to you. You must do the same thing for your agency. The billboard must be catchy, attractive and something everyone will remember. Just make sure it is tasteful! There are good billboards and bad billboards, but which one will yours agency’s be?

The most important two things to remember when using billboards are to
1. Get your message out; while
2. Making the presentation pleasing to the eye.

If you do not accomplish these two important points then you are wasting your time and your agency’s money, no matter where you put the billboard.

External and Internal Constructs

2009-05-12T23:20:00.003-04:00

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.

Viral Marketing....

2009-05-12T22:21:00.001-04:00

In the book Guerrilla Publicity by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman and Jill Lublin, they discuss the concept of "viral marketing". Viral marketing is when information is passed from person-to-person, like a virus, so that it eventually consumes the city, state or nation. To effectively market your agency, you want to form a viral marketing strategy.

Viral marketing is just one of many ways to promote your agency but if done correctly it will dramatically increase your police department's applications.