Chief: What if we train them and they leave?

Sergeant: What if we don’t and they stay?

With recruitment on the decline, retention has quickly become one of the most pressing needs in law enforcement. Departments are struggling to fill new openings and are lowering standards for entry.¹ They’re also dealing with more staffing shortages as officers leave for better opportunities or early retirement. While agencies focus on improving pay, benefits and work-life balance to attract new recruits, one crucial factor often gets overlooked in keeping the ones they have — professional development.

If you want to keep good officers, you need to invest in their growth. A department that prioritizes training and career development sends a clear message: We want you to stay, and we’ll invest in your future here. And if you decide to move on, you’ll leave more skilled, more prepared and better equipped for your next step. That kind of investment makes your department a place where people want to work, which also makes for a great recruitment tool.

Just be careful not to create too much competition, as that can make some feel threatened — especially in departments where there is an unhealthy dynamic.

Officers stay where they grow

It’s safe to say many officers enter law enforcement because they want to make a difference and feel good about the work they do, but that sense of duty can erode over time. Long-term commitment hinges on a lot of factors — including how well-respected they are in their community and how they feel about their peers and leaders — but whether they feel supported and equipped for growth also makes a big difference. When officers see opportunities to challenge themselves with new skills or take on leadership roles, they’re more likely to stay engaged and connected to the purpose that originally brought them there.

Creating an environment where officers feel valued and where they can picture a future helps keep them interested in sticking around. Without those growth opportunities, motivated officers will start looking for them elsewhere — or worse, they’ll retire in place. Keep the ones who lose focus without developing them, and you risk watching your high performers erode right alongside them.

Adaptive skills build commitment

One way to develop officers is by ensuring existing scenario training is “instructor-led” versus “technology-led,” because it adapts to an officer’s skill level over time.² Adaptive training creates a growth strategy that includes achievement benchmarks, giving officers a future goal to strive for no matter their current level of experience or expertise. Career challenges can also be fun for people who like small wins or have some competitive spirit. Achievements tend to keep people motivated and engaged. Just be careful not to create too much competition, as that can make some feel threatened —especially in departments where there is an unhealthy dynamic.

If agencies want to improve retention, they need to shift the focus from keeping officers to keeping officers engaged.

Implementing a training-centered retention strategy

To effectively use training and development as a retention tool, departments should:

• Make training meaningful: Move beyond checkbox compliance and invest in training that matters, even if it isn’t required. Incorporate realistic, scenario-based training that aligns with daily challenges officers face — not just the ones the state mandates.
• Encourage ongoing learning: Support officers in obtaining advanced certifications, attending specialized courses or even pursuing higher education. Don’t weaponize growth or eagerness to become better.
• Invest in leadership development: Preparing officers for leadership roles early creates a strong internal talent pipeline and prevents stagnation. If you’re a small agency and there are limited leadership positions, do it for their future even if they have to leave for promotion. They may lead somewhere close or adjacent, which benefits you when you collaborate across agencies.
• Offer career mapping: Help officers envision their future within the department by providing clear advancement paths and mentorship opportunities. Empower them to find steps on that path. A map helps ensure the development opportunities they choose are actually beneficial to their long term objectives within your agency.
• Create a feedback loop: Regularly ask officers what training they find valuable and what they need to feel more prepared and supported. A sense of autonomy can keep them motivated and improve their learning.

Retention requires engagement from everyone

If agencies want to improve retention, they need to shift the focus from keeping officers to keeping officers engaged. Investing in training and development produces better, more committed officers who want to build their careers within your agency. But the onus is not solely on the officers and instructors — leadership presence plays a big role here, too. 

When leaders commit to and encourage continued education, attend training themselves and create mentorship programs, it sends a strong message: We want you to be successful, and we are in this together. This demonstration of leadership and investment in officers’ success boosts morale, which directly impacts retention and can indirectly help with recruitment. When officer development is a priority, the return on investment reaches far and wide.

Instead of asking whether your department can afford to prioritize training and career development, ask instead: Can you afford to keep them if you don’t?