Officer Selection

Because of the range of duties, officers should possess certain traits hectically agility, the tycoon to cope with difficult situations, well- develop 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 status applicants must have.All applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have or be eligible to receive a drivers emancipation because their primary duty Is patrol, ND they must be able to drive to respond to Incidents. Police officers must likewise 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 thereb y 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. some all departments require officers to have at least a high school diploma. And many require at least some college credits. Written psychometric test The written examination is the first step in becoming a police officer once a formal application has been submitted.The test varies by department, nevertheless It might be a civil service exam, an exam produced by the individual police department, or one produced by a hush-hush testing company. The exam does not test specific legal or criminal Justice knowledge, but rather evaluates the candidates basic reading, writing, and comprehension skills. The exam go away likely contain a number of different sections, whereby the candidate must be a ble to understand and write In English, write a render essay, understand basic mathematics, memorize facts, show sound 1 OFF reasoning Ana logic, Ana analyze potential scenarios .For clamatorial ten written examination is developed by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and measures reading comprehension and writing abilities (caperers. Com, 2011). Depart psychogenic Interview discussion sectional Interview will evaluate the applicants 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 coordinate, 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, usual ly require qualify 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, pen-ended questions are likely to elicit more information.Though the candidate must pass all phases of the selection process in order to be hire as a police officer, the interview process is critical in the assessment of the candidates attitudes, appearance, and demeanor. somatogenetic Ability Examination The Physical Ability Examination will measure animal(prenominal) performance through a series of exercises that will be administered on a pass/ demote basis. Measuring a police candidates level of physical agility is a crucial part of the selection process, although the physical agility test has been controversial and has undergone momentous hangs since its inception (Grant & Terry, 2009).The Physical Ability Examination has gone th rough many changes. Until the sasss the test required applicants to demonstrate substantial upper consistency 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 exercising 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 he 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. A. Gob, 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 I en employment, connecter Ana documentary film Investigation consists AT a tongue duty of the candidates history prior to appointment to determine seaworthiness for this employment.Reasons for rejection include use of controlled substances, felony convictions, repeated or dear 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 remain two years from the date of disqualification before they may reapply to take the Police Officer examination.Candidates who are disqualified because of uncorrectable deiced 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 sentence they enter the academy (Grant & Terry, 2009). Training is rig orous, demanding and exhausting. It is also a rewarding life-changing experience. New officers learn how much they are capable of by succeeding at plain impossible challenges, both physical and mental Mainland. Com, 2011). While in the academy, the officer receives educational as well as practical physical The Los Angles Police Department (LAPS) Academy Curriculum includes training.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 ND 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 Angles Municipal Code, social 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 Mainland. Com, 2011).Development Once a new police officer leaves the academy, they are assigned a field training officer (FOOT) who cares the new officer to acclimate into the police culture, or experience the solicitation process. Solicitation involves learning the values, social processes, and behaviors associated with the police institution. It involves the patterns of fundamental interaction that depend on the relations of individuals in particular settings (Grant & Terry, 2009). Foot can have a significant influence over new officers ND assist them in dealing with the inevitable stress and cynicism of the Job. Conclusion Selecting qualified police officers is a lengthy, competiti ve process, involving multiple phases. Candidates are exposed too battery of tests both physically and mentally to ascertain their overall qualifications and abilities.