Date

12-4-2025

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Chair

David Conn

Keywords

police, small-town, rural, age, population, recruitment, retention, community

Disciplines

Philosophy

Abstract

This study examined the plans of small-town northern Wisconsin police officers to remain at their current agency until retirement, based on age and community size. The hypothesis was that older officers who had been with an agency for a longer period would stay until retirement, while younger officers would be more likely to leave. Younger officers tend to have less buy-in to the community and possibly fewer ties to a specific community. Officers who are older or have been with an agency for a long time have a greater investment in the agency and the community. The study results showed a statistically significant relationship between an officer's age and their likelihood of staying or leaving their current agency before retirement. Another hypothesis is that agencies in smaller communities will experience higher rates of officer turnover before retirement. The study results showed no statistically significant relationship between the size of the community in which an officer works and whether officers will stay until retirement or leave prior to retirement. The study group consisted of small-town rural municipal police officers and police chiefs in northern Wisconsin who serve communities with a population of less than 5,000.

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