American policing is in the midst of a staffing crisis characterized by high rates of attrition fueled by job dissatisfaction and burnout. Organizations have responded in kind by recruiting individuals whose background characteristics could serve as an asset for police work, including those with higher levels of emotional intelligence (EI), a known predictor of a range of positive occupational outcomes. In the current study, we examine the sociodemographic correlates that predict EI, with an explicit focus on military veterans who are currently employed as police officers. The results of our study indicate that, in these agencies, veterans report higher EI than nonveterans and that specific sociodemographic characteristics are modestly associated with emotional competencies. These patterns suggest that veteran status may be one correlate of EI in policing and point to directions for future research on how emotional competencies relate to recruitment, retention, and occupational outcomes.
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