Policing is an important function in society and slow recruitment is a problem but it can under certain circumstances also be an opportunity. It may be an opportunity to recruit diversely and attract different types of people to the practice policing to ensure that is reflective of society and develops multiple new ways of looking at and interacting with people.
If we review current police demographics (I cannot vouch for the statistics or how they are drawn.) we can see a good opportunity to shore up these slow recruitment/attraction by encouraging minorities and those with cognitive diversity to get involved and become officers. It is a chance for people to sort of take a bag of lemons and make lemonade in a way that improves the systems, encourages trust, and has a positive impact on drawing communities together.
Support our police and support our communities. Some may have left or retired and that can create a flow of new people if we can find a mechanism to attract new officers. My suggestion is work on the PR, connect new college students and high schools, post widely and using different marketing channels in areas where more representation is needed (race, religion, cognitive diversity, etc.).
Be open to the idea that universalization around a shared need of policing is important. I would encourage those who are pro and distrusting of police to use this opportunity to create win-win. What is most important is a person's desire to serve and protect the public.
(That also includes Republicans and Democrats who have in recent times encouraged people to be violent toward police and the FBI. Its time to change the narrative to something more constructive.)
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