Author Dr. LeQawn McDowell explores factors impacting the hiring market for law enforcement officers and opportunities to expand the pool of qualified candidates

University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies has released a new white paper, “Current Hiring Challenges in Law Enforcement Organizations,” by LeQawn McDowell, DBA, fellow in the University’s Center for Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Research (CWDIR), and a retired police sergeant. In the paper, McDowell explores factors impacting the hiring market for law enforcement officers as well as opportunities to address the areas of concern and expand the pool of qualified candidates.

“Law enforcement has an opportunity to draw in a wider scope of qualified candidates,” McDowell states. “By shoring up community relationships and updating policies that reflect current law and more effectively screen candidates who have overcome prior drug use or debt, law enforcement organizations have the opportunity to diversify and deepen the talent pool of applicants seeking to work for the benefit of their local communities.”

The white paper highlights the challenges that law enforcement organizations face finding high-quality candidates due to strict qualifications, low salaries, and negative perceptions of police.

A retired police sergeant with over 15 years of law enforcement and community service in Clark County, Nevada, McDowell is a Fellow in CWDIR who completed his Doctorate in Business Administration with University of Phoenix in 2023. He is the recipient of the University’s inaugural President’s Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging – Dissertation, for his study, “The Underrepresentation of African Americans in Law Enforcement Organizations: An Explanatory Case Study.” McDowell also holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration with a concentration in Management and a Master of Business Administration.

The full white paper is available here on the College’s Research Hub.

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About the College of Doctoral Studies

University of Phoenix’s College of Doctoral Studies focuses on today’s challenging business and organizational needs, from addressing critical social issues to developing solutions to accelerate community building and industry growth. The College’s research program puts students in the center of an effective ecosystem of experts, resources and tools to help prepare them to be a leader in their organization, industry and community. Through this program, students and researchers work with organizations to conduct research that can be applied in the workplace in real time.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sharla Hooper University of Phoenix sharla.hooper@phoenix.edu