Answering (or Not Answering) the Call: Young Individuals’ Attitudes Toward Policing Careers

Abstract

In the context of a drastic decline in recruitment to police agencies across Western democratic nations, the thesis examined the nature of young individuals’ current attitudes towards law enforcement careers. In addition, the study examined how these nuances and characteristics differed across policing careers in Canada generally and the RCMP specifically. Participants (N = 230) were asked to answer questions regarding their career aspirations and whether they planned on applying to a law enforcement agency upon completion of their degree. Afterwards, participants were asked to answer questions on various scales when thinking about a policing career in general versus one with the RCMP specifically. These scales examined concepts such as overall job interest and career outlook, apprehension about work-life balance, social disapproval, and mentoring. Some of the results were consistent with previous literature, indicating that men were more interested in a law enforcement career than women, and that the reputation and perspective of a police organization were barriers for some participants when considering a career in law enforcement. However, there were unique findings regarding mentoring, work-life balance, and the lack of alternative job opportunities, which are discussed. Specifically, participants who said they were going to apply and those who said they were unsure about pursuing a career in law enforcement reported lacking access to mentorship opportunities, which would have been impactful on their decisions. Younger individuals, participants not pursuing a criminology degree, and those who indicated they were not planning to pursue a career in law enforcement reported greater apprehension about work-life balance. Lastly, those who indicated they were not going to apply identified a lack of other job alternatives as an influential factor. This means they would consider joining a law enforcement agency if they could not secure employment elsewhere. This is true for policing in general and for the RCMP specifically. Overall, this thesis makes a significant contribution to the literature and provides new insights into how young individuals currently perceive policing careers. In addition, while not the primary objective of this analytic thesis, the results point to various policy interventions that could encourage youth recruitment.