The department should not sacrifice the officer for the sake of public opinion. To go further, if indeed the officer is not guilty, the department should take steps to educate the community to the role and duties of its officers to prevent future misunderstandings. Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene theory also needs to be considered. Because most officers are in this profession because they truly desire to be in law enforcement, salary issues are not always major factors for leaving. But in such a tight labor market as we are currently experiencing, many other hygiene items are crucial.
Commutes seem to be worsening everywhere, so flexible shifts for detectives are important.
The most important of all these hygiene factors for employee retention is having fair and just supervisors. This does not happen by accident but must be nurtured and is often the result of an organization that follows the Motivation side of Herzberg's theory by having challenging assignments, trusting its employees thus increasing responsibility, having a system for recognizing good work and promoting individual growth. Employees are an agencies greatest commodity and should be recognized as such. The changing consistency of today's police departments also creates its own challenges. Many current supervisors are unfamiliar and uncomfortable supervising non-sworn personnel.