A look at law enforcement hiring shows standard practices holding while adjustments are being made to accommodate a depleting candidate pool.

Under state law, background investigations and psychological evaluations are needed. 

“[It’s a] half a day of tests and interviews to make sure that [the psychologist] believes that that candidate has the right mental profile to do law enforcement work effectively,” Jeff Potts, executive director with the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, said. 

Looking into an applicant’s social media footprint has also become a norm, Potts said. Some agencies have it as part of their hiring process. Potts adds, though, that looking beyond social media accounts has its limitations. 

As for any major changes to the hiring process recently, Potts points to a state grant program that started a couple of years ago, aiming to entice people outside of law enforcement to join the ranks — it’s called the Intensive Comprehensive Peace Officer Education and Training Program (ICPOET).

“The candidate pools in the last five, six years have dropped by 75 to 90%, and so police departments have had to get very creative,” Potts said. 

Those who go through the ICPOET go through all training, including that required by the state, as a person who takes a more traditional route to become a peace officer, it’s just condensed. They also need some kind of two- or four-year degree. 

“It’s really an intensive course to try to get those second career folks up to speed with all of the same training they would get if they were, for example, coming right out of school,” Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL-Shoreview), who helped passed the bipartisan-supported legislation in 2023, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. 

When asked about worries of standards being lowered with these hires, Rep. Moller says, “the opposite is true.”

“These are usually second career people, a lot of times they could be people who’ve worked in a jail setting, maybe even teachers, social workers, and they recognize that they would have great skill,” Moller said. 

Potts supports the program too, adding that chiefs are still very diligent as they balance filling their ranks with a depleting pool of candidates. 

“Every police officer that works for an agency is reflective of the entire agency, and they certainly don’t want anybody on their police department that’s going to give them a bad reputation,” Potts said.