Executive Search

One of the most significant appointments a mayor or city/county manager can make is the appointment of a police chief. For 30 years, PERF has identified the most skilled professionals in the field and has assisted city leaders in recruiting and selecting well-qualified candidates.

PERF’s in-depth knowledge and understanding of policing in the United States and other nations provides an unparalleled foundation for the provision of Executive Search services.  As a hybrid organization that conducts research, develops policy and best practices, performs studies of individual police agencies, conducts an educational program for high-ranking police leaders, and has an active membership of police executives, PERF is familiar with the issues and the top leaders in the field of policing.

Over the past decade, PERF has assisted with more than 75 executive searches, providing our clients with a highly qualified and diverse national candidate pool from which to select a new police leader.

PERF has assisted jurisdictions such as:

  • Los Angeles
  • Seattle
  • Chicago
  • Houston 
  • San Francisco
  • Boston
  • Kansas City, Missouri 
  • New Haven, Connecticut
  • Charleston, South Carolina
  • Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Pittsburgh 
  • Minneapolis 
  • Tallahassee
  • Memphis 
  • Nashville 
  • The Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • The United States Capitol Police
  • Northeastern University
  • Denver
  • Boston University
  • Dallas
  • Corpus Christi
  • Baltimore

and many other cities and towns across the country.

PERF also has published several books on executive development for policing professionals:

Command Performance: A Career Guide for Police Executives

Leadership Matters: Police Chiefs Talk About Their Careers

“Good to Great” Policing: Application of Business Management Principles in the Public Sector

 

Government officials looking for assistance in recruiting or identifying police chief candidates should contact Rachael Thompson at [email protected] or 202-454-8321.