Many staffing (i.e., recruitment and selection) tactics were perceived by police practitioners as providing opportunities to both increase staffing levels and advance community policing goals. Police staffing tactics that provide opportunities to signal community policing to applicants or the broader community through messages or interactions were more likely to be rated by police practitioners as advancing community policing goals. Tactic trade-offs across other feasibility factors and performance objectives, including workload management, timing, cost, ease of implementation, quality, and diversity, should also be considered. Tactics rated as effective across the greatest number of these dimensions included streamlining the hiring process, mentoring applicants, improving work or promotion opportunities, targeting a broad range of college majors, statewide recruitment funds, and one-to-one outreach.
