The analysis focused on the current age structure of police officers and the relationship between the age structure of the Illinois population to the year 2000 and future law enforcement personnel needs. Trends in other demographic variables affecting the composition of the officer corps were also analyzed. Results revealed that the Illinois law enforcement community is experiencing two converging trends. The retirement of experienced police officers is producing a gap in managerial ranks, and the traditional recruitment pool is shrinking. Retirements produce both positive and negative effects. Recruiting will be influenced not only by economic trends and labor markets but also by their public safety functions and status as governmental agencies. At the departmental level, some police agencies are using not only traditional recruitment, hiring, and promotion but also methods such as lateral entry and increased employment of civilians. Tables, figures, appended methodological information, and 59 references
Dynamics of Aging in the Illinois Law Enforcement Officer Corps
NCJ Number
153462
Date Published
1992
Length
144 pages
Annotation
This study used data from Illinois State, municipal, and county police officers to determine the dynamics of aging within the ranks of Illinois law enforcement agencies, differences among agencies, and the significance of these dynamics for human resource planning,
Abstract