Employing Returning Combat Veterans as Law Enforcement Officers:
Supporting the Integration or Re-Integration of Military Personnel into Federal, State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement
In partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the IACP and Klein Associates Division/ARA have undertaken a significant project to support returning combat veterans in law enforcement, their families, and their agencies. With the support of many combat veterans in law enforcement, we were able to identify transitional challenges facing these veterans who are returning to or starting a career in law enforcement.
Since July 2010, the IACP has distributed over 20,000 Veteran’s and Leader’s guidebooks that will serve as fundamental tools in supporting our nation’s veterans, whether overseas or in their communities in law enforcement careers. In May 2011, the IACP released the Family guidebook which provides guidance and support for family members of deployed law enforcement officers and tips for law enforcement agencies on how they can support their deployed officer’s family.
Hard copies of all three guidebooks are currently available upon request by completing an online order form through: www.surveymonkey.com/s/veteranguidebookrequest. However, due to overwhelming demand, quantities of the Veteran’s and Leader’s guides are currently limited to 1 set per request. PDF versions of the guidebooks can be found below.
Project Deliverables
Family Guidebook
The family guidebook (PDF) focuses on the families of military veterans in law enforcement. The guide will not only help families understand their obligations and expectations through the deployment cycle, but will detail the interaction that their spouses will experience between the military and law enforcement communities. Information on what law enforcement agencies can do to support the families of their deployed officers is also included. It is encouraged that law enforcement leaders provide this guide to the families of Guard and Reserve servicemembers in their agency.
Veteran’s Guidebook
The veteran’s guidebook (1MB Quality|4MB Quality), developed from interviews and focus groups with military veterans serving in law enforcement, shares experiences and tips for veterans as they transition from deployment to resuming or beginning law enforcement careers. A comprehensive list of support agencies and networks available to veterans is also included.
Leader’s Guidebook & Training Curriculum
The leader’s guidebook (2MB Quality|10MB Quality) provides recommendations to law enforcement leaders on how they can successfully improve the quality of support to returning combat veterans who are reentering law enforcement or launching a new career in policing. The guide also contains a training curriculum outline for incorporating relevant topics into specialized academy instruction and in-service training for both combat veterans and their supervisors. This curriculum will assist both hiring agencies and returning veterans to effectively address, discuss, and overcome any transitional obstacles.
Marketing Tools for Recruiting Veterans into Law Enforcement
This document (PDF) outlines the current outreach strategies and marketing techniques that law enforcement agencies use to market, recruit, and employ returning combat veterans. While some departments are successful in reaching out to combat veterans, others have not taken full advantage of modern marketing and recruiting tools, and have had limited success in recruiting servicemembers who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. This document provides relevant background information and summarizes some particularly outstanding policies, recommendations, and recruitment strategies currently offered by law enforcement agencies.
Additional Publications:
Employing Returning Combat Veterans Findings and Recommendations from Field Research - September 2009 (PDF)
For more information about the Returning Combat Veterans Project, please contact, militaryveterans@theiacp.org