Marketing: What's So Special About Your Agency?


Presenters: 

- Liz Allison, Grant Manager, Indianapolis (IN) Police Department 
- Chief David Kurz, Durham (NH) Police Department
- Colonel Carl Hawkins, Hillsborough County (FL) Sheriff’s Officer 


The workshop discussed how to recruit service-
oriented candidates to police departments and 
sheriff’s offices through branding, advertising, 
and the media. 


Marketing: What's So Special About Your Agency?

Overview of Presentations: rural, suburban and 
urban agency perspectives 

• Challenges 
- New populations, changing demographics 
- Little or no money 
- Poor community perception of the agency 

• Activities 
- Grants give agencies a chance to experiment. 
- Determine whoto recruit and howto recruit 
- Making organizational changes to support new recruiting efforts. 


Marketing: What's So Special About Your Agency?

• Breakout Discussion Topics 
- Developing an effective marking plan 
- Small budget recruiting and marketing 
- Preparing the internal organization for recruitment and marketing 


Marketing: What's So Special About Your Agency?

• Common/Cross-cutting Themes 
- Leadership support 
- Ask for help 
- Get the internal department in order 
- Can be done on limited budgets


Marketing: What's So Special About Your Agency?


• Innovative and Promising Practices That Emerged

- Indianapolis (IN) Police Department: virtual academy, 
community forums, tutoring 

- Hillsborough County (FL) Sheriff’s Office: branding, 
integrity scholarship, storytelling 

- Durham (NH) Police Department: utilizing citizens 

- Employee incentives for recruitment and retention

- Use the media to showcase efforts 

-Utilize employee interests/talents 

-Develop a business plan for the agency 



Marketing: What's So Special About Your Agency?

• Concluding Takeaway Messages / Lessons

- Reach out to the community 
- Work internally and externally 
- People want to take pride in their organization 
- Recruitment and hiring staff should showcase employees 
- Employees as ambassadors 
- Realistic descriptions of work