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.
Recommended Citation
Reinke, Chris, "Attracting the Next Generation of Police Officers: A Case Study of San Jose Police Department’s Use of Social Media for Recruitment" (2018). EMPA Capstones. 300.
https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/capstones/300