Our military service members represent only 1% of our population, but they shoulder the responsibility of protecting our entire nation.  The COPS Office is committed to supporting military veterans and the law enforcement agencies that hire them as our veterans seek to transition into careers as law enforcement officers.

Military veterans’ ability to work in teams, capacity to adapt to challenging tasks and responsibilities, attention to detail and drive to succeed, and a host of other skills and trainings make them ideal candidates for police departments.  While veterans may come from different military occupations, the skills acquired through service often complement the requirements needed to ensure a successful law enforcement career.

Many departments have been successful in recruiting military veterans while others are unaware of the marketing and recruiting tools available to employers. There are many employment resources available for law enforcement agencies that offer dependable and up-to-date information on recruiting and hiring veterans. The COPS Office has partnered with various military agencies and support organizations by compiling a series of resources to assist law enforcement agencies with their recruitment and hiring efforts of military veterans.

In addition, the 2012 COPS Hiring Program will make available $111 million directly to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire career law enforcement officers for the advancement of public safety through an increase in their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Grantees that receive 2012 CHP grant funding for new hire positions are required to hire a new officer who is a post-9/11 military veteran.  Under this program, a military veteran is defined as an individual who has served on active duty at any time in the armed forces for a period of more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred on or after September 11, 2001, and who has been discharged or released from active duty in the armed forces under honorable conditions. For more information about CHP, please click here.

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COPS Publications and Media

Veteran Hire Publication and Resources

Employer Resources on Veteran Recruitment and Hiring

Military Recruitment Best Practices

Vets to Cops Brochure