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Commission hears detailed recruitment and attrition briefing as commissioners press for data on disparities
Summary
SFPD recruitment staff reported a large applicant pool but high attrition through the academy and Field Training Officer (FTO) program. Commissioners requested demographic breakdowns at each screening stage and data on psychological-screening disqualifications.
Director Aldis Villagomez presented the department's sworn recruitment and retention update, telling the commission the department has attracted a large applicant pool but faces attrition between testing, academy and field training.
Villagomez said the department has benefited from online applications and an accelerated testing cycle; 943 applicants completed initial testing this year, 651 of those were assigned to background checks and 242 more will be assigned soon. She reported an approximate 1-in-5 success rate for candidates who complete initial testing and are ultimately hired.
Commissioners and training staff focused on attrition in the academy and FTO program. Examples cited in the briefing showed substantial drop-off (one table referenced 52 entering an academy cohort and about 25 eventually reaching officer status). Deputy Chief Charles Kehane, who led the field-training program, said academic success does not always translate to field performance and described stressors and unmet expectations that cause some recruits to resign. Commissioners asked the department to provide hard counts at each stage (not only percentages), reasons for FTO releases, and whether exit interviews or questionnaires are being used to cluster causes.
Several commissioners raised questions about potential bias in background and psychological screening and asked for statistics by demographic group at each step: who is disqualified at psychological evaluation, whether grievances or second examinations occur, and how often psychological re-evaluations are sought. Villagomez and background staff said the process follows POST-mandated standards, includes grievance/retest procedures and that staff would work to provide disaggregated data where legally permissible and technically feasible.
Public comment from an SFPD patrol officer urged commissioners not to underestimate field realities and warned that liability and safety concerns limit options like ride-alongs as a screening tool. Staff said they are exploring outreach, pre-academy supports and family-orientation sessions, and that the department is evaluating IT/data improvements to enable better tracking of applicants' progress through the pipeline.
The commission requested a future report providing: stage-by-stage counts and demographic breakdowns of applicants; reasons for attrition (academy and FTO separations); and the department's proposed measures to reduce unnecessary losses of recruits.
