Commission hears recruitment update: applications rising but hire rates and gender gaps persist

Fire and Police Commission testing and recruiting staff told the committee on Sept. 9 that police recruitment metrics for 2025 show improved application volume but continued challenges converting applicants to hires and achieving gender parity.

Staff reported that 2024 was the first full year of continuous recruitment and produced about 1,200 applications. As of Aug. 31, 2025 staff said they had received just over 1,000 applications year-to-date; from May 1 through Aug. 31 the department received 619 applicants, a higher pace than the same period in 2024. Weekly application rates rose from about 27 per week in 2024 to an average of 33 per week in 2025, and in the period after a new digital ad campaign with Safeguard Recruiting began, the team reported weeks nearing 60 applicants.

Despite the larger applicant pool, the conversion to hires remains low. Staff noted that the department's target class size is about 65 officers; recent classes were smaller (examples cited: 46, 29 and 45 in successive classes). Entry-level hiring rates for recent cycles were reported in the low double-digits (one class cited an 11% hire rate). Staff said the first class to use a complete online-written/oral and NTN background process had a higher yield.

Diversity figures were mixed. Staff said 30% of the 2025 applicant pool were women, marking the first time the applicant pool hit the department's 30-by-30 benchmark at the application stage. Racial and ethnic composition of applicants through mid-August was reported as roughly 44% Black, 30% White, 19% Hispanic, 4% Asian and 1% Native American. However, recent recruit classes showed far lower female representation: staff said two of the most recent classes had two and one female recruits, respectively. Commissioners expressed concern about that "cliff" between female applicants and female hires.

Commissioners asked staff to produce a disaggregated analysis showing elimination rates at each testing and screening stage (written test, physical readiness test, oral interview, background, psychological screening) and to break those rates down by race and gender. Commissioner Horowitz observed that background investigation outcomes historically have resulted in higher elimination rates for applicants from communities with greater law-enforcement contact. Director Todd said staff would prepare the requested analysis and return with recommendations about where process changes could reduce unnecessary friction while maintaining standards.

The committee did not vote on new recruitment policy at the meeting; staff described ongoing efforts including advertising, a recruiting video shoot, and improvements to testing and background processes.