Title
Phoenix Police Department Recruitment, Hiring and Attrition Update
Description
This item provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee with a report on the Phoenix Police Department’s hiring and recruitment efforts. This report also includes projections on sworn hiring and attrition as well as an analysis of where applicants exited the process before completion.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
This item includes a report on the Phoenix Police Department’s hiring and recruitment efforts. This report provides an analysis of the hiring process and details where applicants exited the process before completion including at the academy and during the field training process.
Sworn Staff Hiring Total
During the November 6, 2024, subcommittee, the committee requested a 2024 year-end report on separations and staffing projections for the near future.
In 2024, the Police Department finished the year with 167 total sworn hires. This includes new recruits, lateral officers and reinstatements. During that time, 204 Officers separated from the department. The separations were from retirements, DROP, early drop and terminations. As a result, the department had a net loss of 37 sworn positions and a total filled count of 2,506 officers as of January 1, 2025.
During this year’s hiring process, the department saw a significant increase in the hiring from the Hispanic population while there was a decrease in hiring from the African American population. White applicant hires remained statistically unchanged.
Total Sworn Filled Position Projection through 2027
The City’s Budget and Research team produces a Monthly Authorized report projects the department’s future staffing based on historical attrition, academy class sizes and known DROP retirements. Based on the current hiring trend and a hiring goal of 35 people every two months, Budget and Research projected a Filled Total Count of 2,547 officers in June of 2027. That would be a net gain of 41 officers compared to January 1, 2025 (Attachment A). Staff is developing strategies to continue to increase the number of people hired and trained to a rate that will more significantly outpace attrition as well as strategies to reduce attrition where possible.
2020-2023 Recruit and Officer-In-Training Attrition
The Phoenix Police Academy and Field Training Officer Program are committed to the success of each recruit in both phases of their initial training, while ensuring standards are met and maintained.
Academy recruit attrition has been approximately 24 percent since 2020. AZPOST reports that the average recruit attrition in academies across the state is nearly 30 percent, with the Phoenix Police Academy having one of the lowest attrition rates of seventeen academies. Several factors contribute to this lower attrition rate including the quality of recruits hired, the SWET program for physical fitness, a two-week pre-academy to prepare them, resiliency training in the academy, and extra opportunities on Fridays for additional training in the areas of their choice.
Once the recruits graduate from the academy, recruits move into the Field Training Officer (FTO) program as Officers-In-Training. The attrition rate since 2020 in the FTO program is approximately 22 percent. Failing to meet standard evaluation guidelines in this phase of the training is one of the most common reasons officers leave during FTO. Another reason cited for officers leaving during this phase is the reality of the job in real-world application. Stress within family dynamics is a factor as well for exits. The FTO Committee meets bi-monthly to discuss areas in which we can improve in both phases of training.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.