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### **Enhancing Recruitment and Retention in Anna, Texas**

September 2020 | Volume 13 | Issue 9

When Jeff Caponera was appointed Chief of the Anna (Texas) Police Department (APD) in  January 2018, the department was experiencing high turnover. During the last six  months of 2017, the APD had five officers leave for opportunities with neighboring  agencies. That’s a hard pill to swallow for any agency, let alone one with a sworn  contingency of 17, including the Chief of Police. There was also a lot of instability  in the city at that time. Three new members of the council, including the mayor,  were elected. The city did not have a clear direction, and there was confusion about  the expectations of staff. In addition, the APD’s applicant pool was nearly nonexistent.

 Chief Caponera attended the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)  2018 Annual Conference and Exposition in Orlando, Florida. Recognizing that  changes needed to occur for the APD to attract and retain quality applicants, Caponera  attended several breakout sessions focused on recruitment and retention, where he  was introduced to the Collaborative  Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) and its myriad free  resources. After researching other options and conducting a cost/benefit analysis,  the APD determined the technical support, subject matter expertise, and guidance  provided by CRI-TAC would far exceed the other options available. 

 The process to obtain assistance from CRI-TAC was simple. The  response to the APD’s request for assistance was prompt and the subsequent communications  and requests were clear. The CRI-TAC project manager set expectations and timelines  early on but was flexible and understanding of unexpected delays. During a site  visit at the APD set up by the CRI-TAC team, the subject matter expert and project  coordinator were professional; they took time to meet with APD staff to gain insight  about current practices and policies and to gain a good understanding of the vision  for APD’s recruiting and retention program. This step in the process is critical  to the success of the program and should be carefully planned so all stakeholders  can have input.

 The support, expertise, and guidance provided by CRI-TAC helped  the APD develop a recruiting program that nearly quadrupled the pool of quality  applicants. The applicants now come from diverse backgrounds, and nearly 60 percent  have college degrees. Through the advice received from CRI-TAC, the APD was able  to streamline the hiring process to a little less than 90 days from the date of  application to date of hire, which reduced the number of applicants APD was losing  to other agencies because of the previous lengthier process. 

 The APD created a recruitment team to develop material and  processes. The team worked closely with the A/V Media class at a local high school  to produce a new recruiting video that gives insight into the APD’s culture and  opportunities.. This recruiting video allowed the APD to reach a broader spectrum  of applicants. The recruitment team, together with the APD’s human resources director  and the city manager’s office, also developed a defined step pay plan that allows  for lateral entry options and reduced the number of steps required to reach top  out. In addition, the recruiting team worked with a local printing company to create  banners and other recruiting materials that are now used during career fairs and  recruiting events. These are only a few examples of the successful programs the  APD’s recruiting team has created. 

 The work the APD completed through CRI-TAC recently earned  Chief Caponera a spot in a U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented  Policing Services (COPS Office) recruiting and retention round table discussion  in Reno, Nevada. During the meeting, he showcased the APD’s successes, spoke about  challenges and how to overcome them, and—most important—highlighted that the APD  has successfully hired seven new officers and has not lost a single officer to another  agency since improving the recruitment and retention programs. 

##### About CRI-TAC: Solutions by the Field, For the Field

Every day, law enforcement agencies and the communities they  serve face challenges. Some agencies struggle to meet drastically changing service  demands, while others are unsure about how to allocate resources, incorporate promising  practices, or spread the word about new programs. Some agencies are looking for  new and effective ways to engage their communities. If you are a law enforcement  executive looking for support, the CRI-TAC is here to help. Funded by the COPS Office,  the CRI-TAC offers no-cost, customized solutions to law enforcement agencies throughout  the United States. The solutions provided are tailored to the agency and informed  by cutting-edge innovation and evidence-based and promising practices.

 Law enforcement agencies must be prepared to respond to a broad  range of issues. Because of this, the CRI-TAC can address more than 35 critical  law enforcement areas, including crime analysis, active shooter response, tribal  law enforcement, officer safety and wellness, community engagement, human trafficking,  hate crimes, and traffic safety. The CRI-TAC offers several technical assistance  services delivered by subject matter experts from the field, including the following:
          - Resource referral  — Toolkits, reports, and other  relevant publications
          - Web-based training  — Recorded webinars and live  online training
          - In-person training  — Existing and customized  on-site training
          - Virtual mentoring  — Connections to subject matter  experts to share information and promising practices via phone or video conference  call
          - On-site consultation  — Visits to the requesting  agency to collaborate with agency leaders and provide guidance on best/promising  practices and tailored solutions 
          - Agency peer exchange  — Assistance in facilitating  meetings among agency members and other public and private sector stakeholders

##### Learn More

Learn  more about the CRI-TAC, download a brochure, or request assistance for your agency.

 Jeff A. Caponera, Chief (ret.)          Anna (Texas) Police Department

 Emily Kuhn, Project Manager          International Association of Chiefs of Police

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