Public Safety Workforce Initiative
Counties play a central role in recruiting, retaining and supporting the workforce that powers local public safety systems, including law enforcement and the broader justice continuum. Investing $124 billion annually in justice and public safety, counties employ a 939,000-person workforce spanning law enforcement, EMS, fire, corrections, crisis response and community supervision. Yet many counties face persistent workforce challenges that affect service delivery, system performance and community outcomes.
NACo’s Public Safety Workforce Initiative (PSWF) helps county leaders understand and address these challenges through research, peer learning and technical assistance. The initiative examines workforce dynamics across public safety systems, elevates county-driven strategies and connects counties with research and implementation partners to identify and share practical approaches that strengthen recruitment, retention and long-term workforce capacity.
Ways to Get Involved
Applications are now open for NACo's County Law Enforcement Advancing Recruitment & Retention Cohort (CLEARR Cohort) to support county law enforcement agencies in implementing and evaluating recruitment and retention strategies. Selected county law enforcement agencies will participate in a year-long cohort focused on implementing one evidence-informed recruitment or retention approach within their local context.
This project offers local leaders the opportunity to generate actionable evidence to inform future workforce investments and help shape the national conversation on law enforcement recruitment and retention practices.
Please visit the website below to learn more and submit an application. The application deadline is Friday October 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
If you are interested and would like to learn more, please register for the County Law Enforcement Advancing Recruitment & Retention (CLEARR) Cohort information session on Tuesday, September 15, at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Share or Request Support
Are you working to strengthen public safety workforce practices in your county? Have you implemented promising strategies to improve recruitment, retention or workforce capacity that other counties could learn from? Please share your information using the form below. NACo staff will be happy to connect with you to learn more about your efforts, discuss how you achieved success and explore opportunities to share these strategies with other counties. Please email bhjteam@naco.org if you are in need of technical assistance.
Featured Content
NACo Brief: County Innovations in Public Safety Workforce Recruitment and Retention
Recent cultural and economic changes such as competitive markets, declining applicant pools, misaligned workplace expectations, high turnover and population shifts have led to public safety workforce challenges in counties nationwide. This brief highlights innovative ways that counties are addressing recruitment and retention challenges.
ICE hiring surge challenges county law enforcement
Local governments hope that their law enforcement personnel will favor the familiarity of the communities they serve when weighing potentially lucrative immigration enforcement recruitment bonuses, which may require them to uproot their lives.
The County Landscape Project: Service Provision and the Public Workforce
Counties are vital to the foundation of our communities, helping shape the places where we live, work and thrive. From maintaining critical infrastructure and delivering essential public services to fostering economic growth and ensuring public safety, county governments play a pivotal role in the daily lives of millions of Americans.
Federal agency partnership creates new emergency alert for missing persons with autism
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. announced the development of the National Autism and Endangered Person Alert Initiative.
DOJ announces $211 million in grants for county criminal justice systems focused on reentry and mental health treatment
The Department of Justice announced $211 million in grant opportunities for counties to improve their criminal justice systems, specifically reentry, substance use, crisis response and behavioral health programs.
Senate Confirms New FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton
The U.S. Senate Confirmed Cameron Hamilton as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator, re-establishing a leader for the agency which faced significant staffing cuts in recent years.
Senators Introduce a Bill to Extend Assistance to Counties for Rebuilding After Natural Disasters
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced a bill to extend the amount of time in which counties can access FEMA funds to pay disaster repair and reconstruction workers to up to two years following a natural disaster. This bill would provide increased flexibility and support for counties as they lead the front lines of disaster recovery.
Counties make the case for FEMA reform on Capitol Hill
Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng testifies to Congress about the county perspective on FEMA reform, advocating for the passage of the bipartisan FEMA Act.
