Stakeholder Engagement in Police Chief Searches

After completing more than 100 police chief executive searches, we believe that every police chief search should include stakeholder engagement. Public Sector Search & Consulting (PSSC) builds engagement into the search and selection process of every search. It starts before the position is posted and continues through the selection.

The engagement strategies are how search consultants learn what a community needs and cares about. Stakeholders give their time and trust when they take part, and in return they should be able to see their collective input impact the search in a meaningful way. We make sure what was said was heard, and that it made a difference in the search.

Engagement Strategies That Work

Community Forums. Residents talk about the qualities, experience, and priorities they want in their next chief. We hold forums in each search, in person and online, at different times and in different neighborhoods or council districts so working families and shift workers can attend. When the community needs it, we work with our clients to provide interpreters at forums and translated surveys.

Focus Groups. Small, facilitated conversations with internal and external stakeholders draw out more detail than a large forum can. Participants may include city leaders, civil rights organizations, faith leaders, neighborhood and business groups, LGBTQ+ community members, youth, and advocates for people with disabilities, advocates for the unhoused, and people with mental health or substance challenges. We are also looking for insight from those community members who have had negative experiences with police.

Department Engagement. Recruiting and keeping officers is now one of the most challenging problems facing many departments, so employee input matters. We develop confidential employee surveys, meet with both sworn and professional staff, labor associations, and command staff. We want to understand the department’s landscape and learn what employees feel they need from their next leader in terms of morale, wellness, staffing, and culture.

Community Survey. A customized online survey, available in multiple languages and on mobile devices, to provide residents another way to take part in the process. Surveys also reach people who can’t attend a community meeting or focus group session.

Turning Input Into Results

Two skills make engagement worth the effort. The first is good planning and facilitation. The second is careful analysis. We turn forums, focus groups, and survey input into clear community and candidate profiles. The profiles shape the position profile, inform the job announcement, and impact how candidates are screened and which interview questions are prioritized. We include the position profile in the interview materials and talk about how it was developed with input from stakeholders.

The Right Candidate

The next chief must be right for both the department and the community. Expectations around trust, transparency, crisis response, and accountability have evolved and have continued to change. Even so, the best way to learn what a community and department need is still to ask, then show them with your actions that their answers mattered.