CJE3065 Police and Society - Module 2 Selection and Development The quality of police personnel is a highly important issue, because of the increasing complexity of police work. Departments should be screening in, rather than screening out potential candidates: 1.Screening in – identifies the best applicants in an employee pool 2.Screening out – identifies applicants who are unqualified and removes them from the applicant pool, while still leaving those who are minimally qualified "The policy of merely eliminating the least qualified results in mediocrity because it allows marginal applicants to be employed along with the most qualified" (pg 192) Recruitment A Police Executive Research Forum found that the most common methods of recruitment for agencies were as follows: 1. Newspaper ads 2. Career fairs 3. The Internet Approximately 50% of agencies used one of their own programs for recruitment. The most commonly used police programs included: 1. College internships 2. Explorer programs 3. School resource officers A DOJ project called Hiring in the Sprit of Service aims at recruiting service-oriented individuals. 5 agencies, representing both rural and urban departments, have tailored their hiring process to market for individuals who have communication, people, leadership and organizational skills, and not just traditional paramilitary skills. The agencies also developed valid pre-employment testing procedures, job task analysis, and performance measures related to community policing and service-oriented practices. Selection After recruitment, the selection process determines which candidates are best suited to the needs of the department Selection criteria are used to rate candidates, and a ranking system is generally created for candidates. Departments attempt to use selection criteria that are both reliable and valid Validity is the degree to which a measure actually assesses the attribute that it was designed to measure Reliability is a measure's ability to yield consistent results over time Invalid criteria may have an adverse impact on groups that are protected by equal employment opportunity laws and regulations Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 prohibits any discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, religion, national origin, or gender Griggs v. Duke Power Company (1971) – concluded that a selection method can have a disparate impact when the selection rate of a group is less than 80% of the most successful group; also known as the four-fifths rule Albemarle Paper Company v. Moody (1975) – found that selection and promotion tests or standards must be shown to be related to job performance However, a standard can be required, even though it may have a disparate impact, if the standard can be shown to be a valid predictor of job performance. Such a standard is called bone fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) Departments utilize job task analysis to identify behaviors that are necessary for ade ...

1. CJE3065 Police and Society - Module 2 Selection and
Development
The quality of police personnel is a
highly important issue, because of the
increasing complexity of police work.
Departments should be screening in,
rather than screening out potential
candidates:
1.Screening in – identifies the best
applicants in an employee pool
2.Screening out – identifies applicants
who are unqualified and removes them
from the applicant pool, while still
leaving those who are minimally
qualified
"The policy of merely eliminating the
least qualified results in mediocrity
because it allows marginal applicants to
be employed along with the most
qualified" (pg 192)
Recruitment
A Police Executive Research Forum found that the most

2. common methods of recruitment for agencies were as follows:
1. Newspaper ads
2. Career fairs
3. The Internet
Approximately 50% of agencies used one of their own programs
for recruitment. The most commonly used police programs
included:
1. College internships
2. Explorer programs
3. School resource officers
A DOJ project called Hiring in the Sprit of Service aims at
recruiting service-oriented individuals.
5 agencies, representing both rural and urban departments, have
tailored their hiring process to market for individuals who have
communication, people, leadership and organizational skills,
and not just traditional paramilitary skills.
The agencies also developed valid pre-employment testing
procedures, job task analysis, and performance measures related
to community policing and service-oriented practices.
Selection
After recruitment, the selection process determines which
candidates are best suited to the needs of the department
Selection criteria are used to rate candidates, and a ranking
system is generally created for candidates.
Departments attempt to use selection criteria that are both
reliable and valid
Validity is the degree to which a measure actually assesses the

3. attribute that it was designed to measure
Reliability is a measure's ability to yield consistent results over
time
Invalid criteria may have an adverse impact on groups that are
protected by equal employment opportunity laws and
regulations
Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 prohibits any
discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, religi on,
national origin, or gender
Griggs v. Duke Power Company (1971) – concluded that a
selection method can have a disparate impact when the selection
rate of a group is less than 80% of the most successful group;
also known as the four-fifths rule
Albemarle Paper Company v. Moody (1975) – found that
selection and promotion tests or standards must be shown to be
related to job performance
However, a standard can be required, even though it may have a
disparate impact, if the standard can be shown to be a valid
predictor of job performance. Such a standard is called bone
fide occupational qualification
(BFOQ)
Departments utilize job task analysis to identify behaviors that
are necessary for adequate job performance
Pre-Employment Standards
Candidates are measured against a department's view of what is
required to become an effective police officer
Many departments have standards regulating these:
1. Age
2. Height and weight

4. 3. Vision
4. Physical agility and strength
5. Residency
6. Education
In addition to pre-employment standards, departments will
conduct an investigation of a applicant's past experience,
behavior, and work history. This process is composed of:
1. Background investigation
2. Polygraph examination – illegal in some jurisdictions
3. Psychological testing
4. Medical testing
Pre-employment tests include:
1. Written exams and performance
2. Personal interview
Police Academy
Academy training is one of the strongest training investments
that potential police officers can make
There are approximately 625 state and local academies
operating in the US
The greatest amount of time is spent on firearms training,
followed by physical fitness, investigations, self-defense, patrol
procedures, emergency vehicle operations, and basic first
aid/CPR
Recruits not only learn official information, but they also learn
unofficial boundaries and rules in police culture
Most academies operate under the stress-academy model;
militaristic type training
83 % of academies train on identifying community problems
60% provide training on the S.A.R.A. model
80% provide some sort of terrorism training
When departments fail to train their officers adequately,

5. liability becomes an issue
City of Canton v. Harris (1989) ruled that departments were
liable civilly when officers violated citizen's rights as a result
of a failure to train
In a study of 1500 lawsuits, the following were what was
brought up most often in regard to inadequate training:
Use of force, false arrest, search or seizure, failure to protect,
detainee suicide, use of emergency vehicle, and provision of
medical assistance
Field Training Offer Program
FTO program serves two purposes:
1. Some things in policing can only be learned through
experience (training)
2. Serves as an evaluation phase for new officers (selection)
Most programs last around 14 weeks, which is divided into
three 4-week phases and a 2-week evaluation period
A trainee is typically assigned to different FTOs and different
shifts during the three 4 week phases
If an officer does not do well during any of these phases, they
may have to repeat them
Phases of the FTO program:
1. Phase I – introductory phase, trainee is taught basic skills,
including officer safety and other areas of liability to the
organization and officer
2. Phase II – continuation of phase I, trainee begins to apply
their mastery of skills. Report writing, traffic enforcement, and
crime scene investigation become routine for the trainee
3. Phase III – characterized by advanced skills training and
polishing of skills already learned
4. Phase IV – evaluation period; the trainee takes on the role of

6. primary officer while the FTO observes
Daily Observation Reports are completed by FTOs
Police Training Offer Program
PTO is an alternative to training new officers
Differs from traditional training in that it doesn't emphasize
repetitive skill and rote memory capabilities but focuses on
developing an officer's learning capability, leadership, and
problem-solving skills
Problem-based Learning is a process that stimulates problem
solving, critical thinking, and team participation. Trainees begin
with a problem, rather than getting a problem to solve at the end
of class. Trainees decide what
information is needed and develop a course of action to solve
the problem.
PTO covers two primary training areas:
1. Substantive topics – the most common activities in policing
2. Core competencies – the required, common skills which
officers engage in, and are required to utilize in daily
performance of their duties
New officers must successfull y pass 15 core competencies
In-Service Training
Because of the ever-changing manner of the criminal justice
system, training is a continual need
In-service training is the most commonly used method for
maintaining and improving officer performance; may also
reduce the likely hood of complaints and litigation
Used to recertify, refresh, or provide new information to
officers in the most critical areas of their job, including

7. weapons qualification, driving, defensive tactics, and changes
in law
BJS survey found 92% of local police departments had an
annual in-service training requirement, for non-probationary
officers
Promotion
Promotion is usually based on several criteria including an
officer's
Time on the job or time in rank
Past performance
Written examinations
Oral interview
College hours or degree
Lateral entry refers to the ability of an officer, at the patrol or
supervisory level, to transfer form one department to another,
usually without losing seniority