Assessing the Relationship between Job Satisfaction and Voluntary Turnover of Police Officers in Colorado

Police officer turnover is approaching critical levels for many policing agencies across the United States. In a study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, law enforcement agencies nationwide reported that recruiting qualified candidates to fill unanticipated vacancies was a significant problem in more than half of small agencies and more than two-thirds of large agencies. Turnover rates can diminish the overall job satisfaction of officers' and be costly to police agencies. The problem addressed in this study was the high turnover rate of police officers in the State of Colorado. This quantitative study assessed the relationship between job satisfaction and voluntary turnover of patrol officers in Colorado and tested Moriarty and Field's confluency theory as an explanation for police officer turnover. Validated survey instruments were completed by 379 current and former officers. Logistic regression was performed and the results revealed that satisfaction with benefits ( p = .002), satisfaction with position (p = .008), satisfaction with recruitment and benefits (p = .001), age (p = .000), and length of employment (p = .008) were statistically significant predictors of voluntary turnover. One-way ANOVA was conducted to assess the difference in job satisfaction and patrol officer type. Statistically significant differences were found for satisfaction with benefits (p = .010) and satisfaction with position ( p = .015). Satisfaction with benefits and assigned position remained the strongest predictors of voluntary turnover across statistical models. Leaders of Colorado policing agencies may find the study results useful when dealing with recruitment and voluntary turnover issues. Future research should include replication studies in larger or different geographical areas, a longitudinal approach, exit interviews with officers, and an exploratory design to determine specifics in regards to what officers are most dissatisfied with in their assigned position and their benefits.