Officer Selection Process Research Paper

Officer Selection Process
Joe Burwell
Loyola Law School
Pre-Law Selection Course
Introduction to Police Theory and Practices
CJA/214
James Roberts
February 16, 2011

Officer Selection Process The job of a police officer involves stressful situations and entails interactions with many individuals in the community. It also requires quick decision making and good judgment. Police duties vary from writing reports to maintaining order to responding to criminal situations, all of which require critical thinking skills (Grant & Terry, 2009). Because of the range of duties, officers should possess certain traits: physically agility, the ability to cope with difficult situations, well-developed writing skills, good communication skills,
sound judgment, compassion, strong powers of observation, and the ability to both exert and respect commands of authority.
Minimum Requirements Every department sets its own standards when considering candidates for police officers, however most departments require a series of minimum standards which perspective applicants must have. All applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have or be eligible to receive a driver’s license because their primary duty is patrol, and they must be able to drive to respond to incidents. Police officers must also be able to possess a firearm. In order to qualify to own a firearm, a person must be at least twenty-one years old. Applicants must also have no Felony convictions. Convicted felons also are prohibited from possessing a firearm, which thereby bars them from becoming police officers. Individuals with domestic violence convictions are no longer able to possess a firearm, thereby prohibiting them from becoming police officers as well (Grant & Terry, 2009). Finally many police departments now have educational standards for recruits. Nearly all departments require officers to have at least a high school diploma, and many require at least some college credits.

Written Examination The written examination is the first step in becoming a police officer once a formal application has been submitted. The test varies by department, but it might be a civil service exam, an exam produced by the individual police department, or one produced by a private testing company. The exam does not test specific legal or criminal justice knowledge, but rather evaluates the candidate’s basic reading, writing, and comprehension skills. The exam will likely contain a number of different sections, whereby the candidate must be able to understand and write in English, write a sample essay, understand basic mathematics, memorize facts, show sound reasoning and logic, and analyze potential scenarios. For California the written examination is developed by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and measures reading comprehension and writing abilities (sfpdcareers.com, 2011).
Departmental Interview Departmental Interview will evaluate the applicant 's interpersonal skills, problem solving, oral communication and other abilities not tested by other examination components. The interview is not scored; however, the interview panel will make recommendations regarding who should proceed in the final hiring process. The interview can be structured, unstructured, or a combination or both. In a structured interview, the candidate is asked a series of questions regarding the job and his or her specific abilities. Structured questions such as “Do you drink alcohol”, usually require specified answers direct answers. The alternative to this would be to conduct a semi structured interview with open ended questions on particular topics. Structured interviews allow for a better comparison of candidates on specific topics, open-ended questions are likely to elicit more information. Though the candidate must pass all phases of the selection process in order to be hired as a police officer, the interview process is critical in the assessment of the candidate’s attitudes, appearance, and demeanor.
Physical Ability Examination The Physical Ability Examination will measure physical performance through a series of exercises that will be administered on a pass/fail basis. Measuring a police candidate’s level of physical agility is a crucial part of the selection process, although the physical agility test has been controversial and has undergone significant changes since its inception (Grant & Terry, 2009). The Physical Ability Examination has gone through many changes. Until the 1970’s the test required applicants to demonstrate substantial upper body strength which kept many women from completing the test successfully thereby eliminating them from the candidate pool. The introduction of Title VII in 1972 as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines on sex discrimination barred the refusal to hire a female applicant because of characteristics attributed to women as a class and thus the physical agility tests have changed considerably in the past few decades.
Psychological and Polygraph Tests A Polygraph Examination is used to verify the veracity and accuracy of information submitted by candidates regarding, but not necessarily limited to: use of controlled substances; driving, criminal, medical and employment history; and other job-related factors. The polygraph works by recording involuntary physiological changes in the body that occur when a person is partaking in conscious deceit. The purpose of the psychological screening process is to measure intelligence and to identify personality characteristics and any mental disorders that may lead to problematic behavior in the future (Grant & Terry, 2009). Psychological screening, particularly those measuring conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness, and integrity – have been shown to aid in the prediction of on-the-job performance across a wide variety of occupations, including peace officers (POST.ca.gov, 2011) It is important to screen out individuals who may exhibit mental or personality deficits, because police officers interact with individuals on a daily basis and often in high-stress situations.
Background Investigation The employment, character and background investigation consists of a thorough study of the candidate 's history prior to appointment to determine fitness for this employment. Reasons for rejection include use of controlled substances, felony convictions, repeated or serious violations of the law, inability to work cooperatively with co-workers, inability to accept supervision, or other relevant factors. Candidates who are disqualified during the background investigation process must wait two years from the date of disqualification before they may reapply to take the Police Officer examination. Candidates who are disqualified because of uncorrectable medical problems, serious drug abuse or because of criminal records may possibly not be allowed to reapply.
Training
Once a police candidate has passed through the selection process, he or she is hired on probation, a trial period of one or two years during which the officer is evaluated.
This probationary period begins with training at the police academy, a school where officers learn on-the-job techniques prior to receiving full police powers. Officers must train at the academy for up to 1,100 hours, and they receive full pay and benefits from the time they enter the academy (Grant & Terry, 2009). Training is rigorous, demanding and exhausting. It is also a rewarding life-changing experience. New officers learn how much they are capable of by succeeding at seemingly impossible challenges, both physical and mental (Joinlapd.com, 2011). While in the academy, the officer receives educational as well as practical physical
training. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Academy Curriculum includes Academics, which encompasses arrest and booking procedures, preliminary investigation techniques, radio and communications, report writing, traffic investigation, and traffic enforcement, Driving, which includes emergency procedures and defensive driving techniques, Firearms Training, which trains candidates in effective and safe use of police issued firearms, Law, which covers search and seizure, evidence, laws of arrest, crimes against persons and property, sex crimes, crimes against children, and other general criminal statutes falling under the California Penal Code, Los Angeles Municipal Code, Welfare and Institutions Code, and Federal Laws, and finally physical training which builds strength and endurance through physical conditioning while promoting a positive attitude toward a fitness lifestyle.
It also encompasses training in physical arrest techniques, controls, and weaponless defense (Joinlapd.com,
2011).
Development
Once a new police officer leaves the academy, they are assigned a field training officer (FTO) who assists the new officer to acclimate into the police culture, or experience the socialization process. Socialization involves learning the values, social processes, and behaviors associated with the police institution. It involves the patterns of interaction that depend on the relations of individuals in particular settings (Grant & Terry, 2009). FTOs can have a significant influence over new officers and assist them in dealing with the inevitable stress and cynicism of the job.

Conclusion Selecting qualified police officers is a lengthy, competitive process, involving multiple phases. Candidates are exposed to a battery of tests both physically and mentally to ascertain their overall qualifications and abilities. The selection process has been modified considerably over the past quarter century, due in large part to equal opportunity criteria, however in most cases it remains through enough to uphold the high standards needed when selecting qualified individuals for law enforcement.

References
Grant, H. B., & Terry, K. J. (2008). Law Enforcement in the 21st Century, Second Edition. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu
Joinlapd.com (2011), Academy Training: retrieved from; http://www.joinlapd.com/academy.html
Post, (2011), Pre-Offer Personality Testing in the Selection of California Peace Officers; retrieved from http://www.post.ca.gov/pre-offer-personality-testing-in-the-selection-of-california-peace-officers.aspx
SFPD Careers.com, (2011); The Police Officer Selection Process, retrieved from http://www.sfpdcareers.com/join.html#written