| Knowledge management is an area of business research that identifies how industries accumulate, manage, and transfer operational knowledge between employees, management, and recruits. Discovering gaps in knowledge transfer assists managers in strategizing training initiatives and problem-solving methods to support a consistent and collaborative approach to knowledge sharing. Researchers have extensively studied knowledge management in the manufacturing and health care industries and developed consistent practices preserved for future generations of employees. Contemporary evaluative tools have shaped standards, yet applying these tools to law enforcement is problematic because of: (a) high attrition, (b) cynicism, and (c) poor communication. Law enforcement agencies have faced unusually high attrition rates, and exhausted training budgets. For instance, the equivalent of 50% of an officer's annual salary is needed to train and prepare an officer for active general duty; additional expenditures are required for specialized unit preparation. In this qualitative, phenomenological investigation, perspectives of those who have, and continue to, work in specialized integrated law enforcement units, are explored. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews involving 26 randomly selected, active, and retired Integrated Proceeds of Crime (IPOC) officers, a deeper understanding of the culture of law enforcement emerged and exposed obstacles to knowledge transfer. A series of open-ended questions exposed individual feelings, perceptions, and beliefs about law enforcement as a career choice, job satisfaction, and retention. Findings revealed 5 fundamental internal factors creating obstacles to knowledge sharing in IPOC, including (a) loss of valuable expertise through retirement and attrition; (b) further loss of valuable expertise through internal advancements to administrative positions; (c) the destruction of valuable investigative records; (d) the fragmentation or absence of standardized, contemporary, and accessible training: and a fifth underutilized factor (e) a strong commitment to knowledge management initiatives without fruition. Recommendations include (a) an exploration of training expenditures in specialized integrated law enforcement units and how these expenditures are aligned with departmental need; (b) identification of specific factors leading to departure from specialized law enforcement units and establishing methods to motivate officer retention; (c) an examination of how to improve the utilization of retired officers in training, and (d) an exploration of the consequences of destroyed old case data. |
