Author

Chris Reinke

Date of Award

Winter 12-18-2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

The San Jose Police Department (SJPD) has been actively recruiting new police officers to counteract the exodus of officers that left following a failed attempt at pension reform. The advent of the internet and, more recently, social media offers law enforcement agencies a new way of connecting with potential applicants. SJPD currently maintains accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, while simultaneously paying for search engines such as Indeed.com and Google to promote their department, yet their impact on recruitment is unknown. A review of the literature will reveal law enforcement agencies current use of the internet and social media, recruitment strategies, and challenges. Data was collected from a marketing agency that was contracted by SJPD to increase the number of police recruit applicants and key informant interviews with members of the SJPD Recruiting Unit and other Bay Area law enforcement officers. The results of this study could inform other law enforcement agencies looking to improve their recruiting efforts and effectively engage applicants via the internet and social media.

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