This NIJ Research for Practice presents findings of a study that examined the recent experiences of police agencies nationwide in hiring and retaining sworn officers. Researchers found that while most agencies grew in the 1990s as a result of Federal funding and demands for service, 20 percent declined in size, most often because of fiscal or recruitment problems. Other findings include that agencies with Federal hiring funds kept the positions after the grants expired; 9 out of 10 recruits completed their training, although training is taking longer because of the growing complexity of police work; and many officers left their agencies after only a few years, often to work for another law enforcement agency.