STERLING POLICE DEPARTMENT

COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST

Problem

Since the beginning of 2016, the Sterling, Ill. Police Department has been looking
for officers to fill six vacant positions. Chief Tim Morgan says there has been a
shortage of both staff and applicants, with the number of people applying for an
open position dwindling by nearly 70 percent over the past two decades. Morgan
believes the shortage stems from negative attitudes toward law enforcement
nationwide, especially in light of recent events such as the shooting of Michael
Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The Sterling Police Department plans to begin
another round of officer testing in June, but a strategic communications plan is
needed to recruit enough qualified candidates.

Research

What do we need to know?

From the police department:

- When was the last round of testing and exactly how many candidates
applied? How does this number compare to previous years? Can we
pinpoint when the number of applicants began to significantly decline?
- What qualities are you looking for in a candidate? We need to know
whom we are targeting with our recruitment efforts.
- What kinds of benefits does the city offer to its officers -- salary,
vacation, pension, etc.? How do these compare to similar-sized cities
nearby? Were looking for anything that could be used as a potential
selling point to attract new applicants.

From potential applicants:

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COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST

- What is your perception of police officer as a potential profession?

How have current events, i.e. Ferguson, influenced your thoughts and
impressions of law enforcement?
- What would discourage you from applying for the job -- Physical
requirements? Salary? Safety concerns? Length of the application
process? We need to determine what factors are contributing to the
decline in applicants.

What tools will we use to find out?

- Face-to-face interviews with the Police Chief and other department

heads to determine historic recruitment challenges, as well as identify
qualities/requirements for potential new hires.
- Focus groups with young job seekers to gage general perceptions of
police and law enforcement careers. This demographic would likely be
difficult to reach by phone or written survey, but would participate in a
focus group for a small financial incentive.

Has it always been this way? How do we know?

- Chief Morgan says no. When he tested for the department, there were 110
applicants for one position. Now, that number is closer to 30 or 40. A check of the
departments data should help us determine when the decline actually began.

How much time do we have to find out?

- Time is extremely limited, with a new round of testing scheduled to begin on

June 18th. In addition, Chief Morgan says the shortage is beginning to affect day-
to-day operations at the department. However, since this problem is ongoing, a
full-scale recruitment campaign could be implemented over the coming months
and still prove useful for future department vacancies.

Strategy
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COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST

Who are the decision makers in this situation?

- Chief Tim Morgan, who is invested in improving the departments

recruitment efforts
- As the head of a city department, Chief Morgan reports to Sterling
Mayor Skip Lee and members of the City Council. They are the ones
with the power to designate funding for the campaign.

Who are the stakeholders?

- Current officers in the Sterling Police Department. The vacancies have

increased the workload for officers, who have a vested interest in filling
the positions.
- Residents of Sterling. Chief Morgan says the shortage has forced the
department to become more reactive than proactive in its crime-
fighting efforts. Community members have a vested interest in making
sure their city is a safe place to live.

What do we need to accomplish?

- The objective is to increase the number of qualified applicants for positions at

the Sterling Police Department. In order to do so, we also need to determine what
factors are contributing to the decline in candidates, address those issues, and
help improve the image of police officer as a profession.

How will we know if we are successful?

- Success can be measured by the number of candidates applying for the testing
process. However, we must also track the number that make it through various
screening phases, and how long it takes to fill open positions. We dont want
simply want more candidates; we want qualified candidates.

What steps will take us there?

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COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST

- Creating a social media campaign to reach young job seekers,

promoting the benefits of law enforcement careers and presenting a
positive image of police officers
- Developing a partnership with local schools. The Sterling PD should
work closely with area community colleges to target students in the
criminal justice field. In addition, officers should become frequent guest
speakers or tour guides for high school, junior high, and elementary
students. Hopefully, students who grow up with police role models will
be more likely to someday become officers themselves.
- Reach out to local media for stories on the candidate shortage. Perhaps
offer an opportunity for a TV reporter to go through the police training
process to show what it takes.
- Offering information sessions and application workshops to help guide
potential candidates through the long, sometimes confusing process.

Implementation

What tools make sense to get your message across?

- Social media - Police recruits are typically younger adults, which makes
social media a prime way to reach these candidates.
- Local news media - As this campaign will likely be low budget, local
news stories offer a chance for some free advertising for the positions.
- Human interaction - Face-to-face interaction with current officers,
whether in a school setting or a workshop, offers the best opportunity
to promote the career to potential candidates.

What kind of budget do we have?

- Extremely limited. The Sterling Police Department is small, and the city is already
facing budget deficits. In December, aldermen passed a 19% property tax hike to
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COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST

pay for police and fire pensions. In addition, the state budget impasse has taken a
toll on city and county resources.

Are there other limitations or resources we can use?

- Besides budget and time constraints, we will need the assistance of current
officers who are already short-staffed and stretched to the limit.

What is our timeline?

- It is unrealistic to expect to implement a full recruitment plan before the next

round of testing in June. However, several strategies, like media placement and
information sessions, could be arranged on short notice. Well then be able to roll
out a full-scale plan over the coming months and measure the results of the
following application period.

Evaluation

How will we measure this campaign?

- We should see an increase in the number of officer applicants.

- The department should be fully staffed once again.
- Open positions should be filled in a shorter time frame.

What statistics can you pull to show success?

- We will track the number of applicants both before and after the
implementation of the campaign.
- We will monitor the length of time that vacancies remain open.
- We can estimate the number of young people our message reaches via
social media and school programs.
- Follow-up focus groups will determine whether the general perception
of law enforcement professions has improved.