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 ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
This item includes a report on the Phoenix Police Department’s hiring and recruitment efforts. Over the past few years, the Phoenix Police Department has faced significant challenges in recruitment. From 2020 to 2024, the number of sworn positions dropped from 3,125 to about 2,500 due to a notable decline in applications. During this period, the department averaged around 200 applications per month and managed to hire approximately 160 recruits annually.
However, things began to change in 2024 when the Employment Services Unit revamped its case management practices. This included instituting regular audits and reviews, eliminated unnecessary barriers, and streamlining communication between the applicants and every person involved in the hiring process. These improvements led to a remarkable increase in applications, doubling the monthly average from 200 to between 400 and 500. As a result, the team is on track to double the number of recruits hired in 2025 compared to previous years.
As of July 2025, the Department received 3,071 applications from recruits, a significant increase from the 1,401 applications received by June 2024. Similarly, lateral applications rose from 112 to 184. The academy class sizes also saw a substantial boost, with Class 1 growing from 14 to 30, Class 2 from 18 to 41, Class 3 from 18 to 45 and Class 4 from 24 to 32.
In addition to these process improvements, the department has focused on community-oriented recruitment. Collaborating with the Community Engagement Unit and regular meetings with the Police Chief’s Advisory Boards has helped attract a diverse pool of candidates, ensuring that current hiring statistics reflect the demographics of Maricopa County.
Modernizing their recruitment efforts, the department has embraced new technology to enhance communication. Instagram Live sessions featuring specialty units and the implementation of a Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) system have streamlined and personalized applicant engagement, primarily through text messaging.
Lastly, this update provides the Police Department's Academy and Field Training (FTO) staffing numbers comparing calendar year 2024 to the current year. During this period, both retention rates for the Academy and FTO have improved to over 90 percent for 2025. The department is tracking the current status of recruits hired from calendar year 2022 to 2024 depicting their current status as of July 2025. During this two-year snapshot, over 60 percent recruits have remained officers and 6 percent have taken other civilian positions within the Department.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.