4.5. Recruitment and Hiring in Policing
Tiffany Morey and Kate McLean
Learning Objectives
After reading this section, students will be able to:
- Describe the parts of the written test
- Discuss why a candidate must study, study, study, for the oral board interview
- Explain the type of questions on an oral board interview
- List the different types of a physical agility test
- Explain why departments are starting to utilize the assessment center test
- Recognize why a candidate’s background is the most important part of the testing process
- Describe why candidates fear the psychological evaluation
- Understand the B-Pad Video Test
Critical Thinking Questions
- What is on the written test?
- How should a candidate study for the oral board interview?
- What is the best way to prepare for the physical agility test?
- How can a candidate prepare for an assessment center?
- What is the best way to start preparing for the background investigation and interview?
- Does the psychological evaluation only check if a candidate is psycho or crazy?
History of Law Enforcement Recruitment and Hiring
As it happens, the history of formal, competitive police recruitment (and training) is quite short. Before the 1960s, as long as the candidate was a white male with a heartbeat – and there was an opening available – the job was most likely his. Women and officers of color were all but non-existent on police forces. Women were only allowed into the ‘boys club’ if they wore a pencil skirt and fit a prescribed, feminized role. In some departments, women were allowed to work in the detective bureau and interview child victims (because women supposedly had better rapport with children, due to their ‘maternal’ instincts.) These stereotypes continued limit the policing careers of women and people of color, until the passage of Civil Rights legislation targeting employment discrimination in the 1960s. Over the same period of time, the Law Enforcement Assistant Act provided funding incentives for police departments throughout the country to install minimum recruiting and training standards for all applicants.
Getting Hired: The Application Process
One of the most challenging entry-level recruitment processes in the United States is for the position of police officer. There is a good reason why this process is so difficult and thorough; a police officer, once hired and trained, becomes endowed with great power – the authority to take away a person’s freedom, and moreover, employ deadly force when warranted. Naturally, this type of power should not be given to just anyone; rather, the testing process should be rigorous and thorough.
Written Police Exam
While the written exam used to screen initial candidates varies by not only state, but by department, these tests may be generally compared with the ACT and SAT. In fact, a high proportion of the candidates that take the written test fail the first time. Written police exams generally showcase the following types of questions: