Policing to Attract New Recruits and End the Perpetual Recycling of Old Problems

When George Floyd's cries for mercy reverberated across the globe in May 2020, the conversation about policing in America entered a new phase. Cities erupted in protest. The streets filled with chants of "defund the police," while others called for outright abolition. Law enforcement officers became both symbols of systemic oppression and subjects of newfound scrutiny, their actions cataloged on viral videos that shocked the public.

The calls for change were loud and clear: the policing system, as it stood, was unsustainable. Yet, as we fast-forward a few years, the question remains - has much changed? High-profile police abuses continue. Disillusionment in law enforcement is growing, and the system still suffers from problems it has dragged forward for decades: a culture resistant to reform, a reluctance to admit wrongdoing, and an inability to attract a new generation of recruits who want to serve communities rather than perpetuate oppressive cycles.

Imagine you are a young, idealistic college graduate today. You've just spent four years studying sociology, criminal justice, or even social work. You are passionate about justice, equity, and meaningful reform. You want to make a difference. Would you join the police force? For an increasing number of young people, the answer is a resounding no.

One of the primary reasons behind this recruitment crisis is that the police force has long been associated with the very problems today's generation is fighting to change: racial injustice, income inequality, systemic bias, and an entrenched culture of impunity. Becoming a cop, for many, feels like joining the opposition.

It's not that young people aren't interested in public safety or justice. Far from it. They are more socially conscious, more engaged in activism, and more invested in community-building than previous generations. But the image of a cop holding a baton in riot gear or pressing a knee on a neck doesn't align with the kind of change they envision.

To fix this, we don't need to lower the bar for recruits - we need to raise it. The question is, how?

The future of policing must reimagine the very role of an officer. Rather than acting as enforcers of punitive justice, police should be rebranded as community caretakers - people who provide social services, conflict resolution, and de-escalation. Imagine a force of professionals trained in the psychology of violence prevention, trauma-informed response, and restorative justice. Imagine a police officer whose role is more akin to that of a social worker than just a soldier.

What if we started recruiting from schools of social work, psychology, or even education instead of just focusing on those who fit the traditional mold of law enforcement? Many of the issues police deal with on a daily basis - mental health crises, substance abuse, homelessness - are social issues that require compassionate, human-centered solutions. By bringing in professionals who understand the root causes of these crises, we can move away from reactive policing toward proactive, problem-solving approaches. Maybe even develop high school courses similar to JROTC as a JPOTC that flow into a similar POTC at the college level. This idea could also be developed for a pathway to the fire academy.

Moreover, we need to overhaul the training academies themselves. Police academies are notorious for drilling militaristic tactics, emphasizing use-of-force protocols, and fostering an "us versus them" mentality. Instead, we need training programs rooted in empathy, cultural competency, communication skills, and de-escalation tactics. Just as critically, these training centers should partner with local communities and activists to create curricula that reflect the lived realities of those most impacted by policing.

This is not to suggest that police officers don't need to know how to respond to violent situations. But if we place as much emphasis on de-escalation as we do on SWAT-style tactics, we would see fewer tragic outcomes and a policing culture more aligned with the values of the communities it serves.

One of the most insidious practices within policing today is the recycling of problematic officers from one department to another. It's an open secret that when officers are fired or forced out for misconduct in one city, they often resurface in another, hired by a different department desperate for bodies on the street.

In too many cases, the proverbial bad apple isn't just kept in the basket but passed on to another. This practice, sometimes referred to as "wandering cops," contributes to a deeply rooted culture of impunity. Officers fired for using excessive force, racial profiling, or other serious misconduct should be out of the system, not pushed around it. But without a centralized accountability system, the police force across the country often serves as a revolving door for problematic officers, compounding trust issues in the communities they patrol.

In many communities, particularly poor and Black neighborhoods, the police are both on the street and in the schools and have not functioned as protectors but as an occupying force. The emphasis on law and order has disproportionately impacted people of color, leading to over-policing, mass incarceration, and violent encounters with law enforcement.

If we teach law enforcement alongside criminology the youth may see the police in a different light that leads them to a new career path.