Becoming a Police Officer

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Chapter 4

• Becoming a Police Officer

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Objectives

• To show students where to find information on
  jobs in law enforcement
• The make students aware of the police selection
  process
• To acquaint students with the standards that must
  be met to be accepted for employment as a police
  officer

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Objectives Cont..

• To give students the understanding of the type
  individuals police department are interested in
  employing
• To acquaint students with
• Police academy training
• Field training
• Community policing training
• Probationary periods

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Introduction

• Becoming a police officer is very different than
  obtaining most jobs in the U.S. Both men and
  women have to be carefully screened to determine
  of they have the necessary attributes for this
  challenging position. They are given a vast
  amount of trust and that carry weapons with which
  they have discretion

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Finding Information on jobs in Law Enforcement

• There are many sources
• Media advertising
• Radio, television and newspaper
• Civil Service Publications
• Provide information about federal jobs in law
  enforcement
• Testing and courses to prepare you for exams is
  also available

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Information about Jobs Cont.

• Certain cities have publications about recruiting
  and job openings
• Ex Jobs posted at the Augusta-Richmond County
  courthouse
• Another source would be to go go a local police
  station or headquarters
• Job fairs at Augusta Tech, Augusta State, SRS,
  and Fort Gordon

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Information about Jobs Cont..

• The internet now serves as one of the best
  sources for finding information about law
  enforcement positions
• Many departments have their own website
• Many colleges provide internship programs
• Students see firsthand what working for a
  particular agency is like

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The Recruitment Process

• Some departments seem to discourage applicants
• The low esteem to which police are seen in some
  communities keeps qualified applicants from
  applying

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Recruitment Cont..

• To attract more qualified applicants and
  particularly the minority groups the Commission
  on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies has
  recommended a number of standards which include
• Agency recruiters should have a thorough
  understanding of equal employment opportunity
  and affirmative action regulations

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Basic Eligibility Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be at least 21 when appointed as a police
  officer (18 in Georgia)
• Eye requirement should be correctable to 20/50
• Must possess a valid drivers license
• Must live or be willing to relocate inside the
  police jurisdiction
• Some college is preferred by some agencies

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The Selection Process

• Getting a job as a police officer is lengthy,
  difficult, and competitive
• The process is a series of examinations,
  interviews and investigative steps designed to
  select the best candidate

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Selection Process/ Written Exam

• Written Exam to measure the applicants ability to
  learn the job
• The exam contains a memory segment, and it tests
  written skills to see if the applicant has
  command of the English language

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Selection Process/Psychological Test

• Psychological testing is done to assess
  emotional stability, ability to endure stress,
  and law enforcement work conditions

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Selection Process/ Physical Fitness Test

• A physical fitness test is given to measure the
  applicants, strength, agility, endurance
• Physical agility tests have been declared invalid
  by many of the courts
• Women are 4 times more likely to fail these tests
  as men

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Physical Agility Tests

• United States v Wichita Falls is a landmark
  appellate case
• The court found that Wichita Falls had
  adequately performed a job analysis and had
  successfully linked the departments physical
  requirements to the work performed by the
  officers
• The key to being valid is if the test is job
  related
• Tests are done to see how far an officer can run
  during a critical incident, how many stairs they
  have to climb each day, and how many hours they
  spend on their feet

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Selection Process/ Background Check

• A background check to review all traffic arrests,
  citations, moral character, and criminal history
• Past employment, school records, medical records,
  relationships with neighbors, and military
  records are placed under a microscope

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Polygraph Exam

• The purpose of the polygraph is to determine the
  applicants honesty
• Check for drug use
• Other illegal activities
• The polygraph was 1st used by Berkeley California
  PD in 1921
• After 1988 the Employee Polygraph Protection Act
  caused the private sector to abandon polygraphs
  as far as random honesty testing
• Police departments still use them because they
  are exempt

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Polygraph Exam Cont..

• Polygraphs are not 100 accurate
• However they can detect physiological changes
  indicating deception anywhere from 75 to 96 of
  the time
• In one year the Vermont State Police Department
  tested 181 applicants and rejected 109 of them
• The reason were for former drug offenses and
  undetected larcenies

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Medical Exam

• Departments want people who are in good health
  whereas any medical problems will not affect
  their ability to perform
• The ADA prohibits discrimination against persons
  who can perform the essential functions of a
  police job

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Medical Exam Cont..

• The purpose is to ensure the applicant can do the
  job
• Also to detect detect any disqualifying diseases
  such as (diabetes, epilepsy, or heart disease)
• Also to look at any physical conditions such as
  back problems, or high blood pressure

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Height / Weight Requirements

• Height and weight requirements have changed
  dramatically
• A few years ago the minimum requirement for all
  departments was 5 8
• These were challenged in court because it
  discriminated against Hispanic-American females

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Age Requirements

• The minimum age requirement for police employment
  is 18 to 21
• Many departments do not have a maximum age
  requirement because of the new laws barring age
  discrimination

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Police Academy Training

• 10 week course
• 400 hours of intensive specific police training
• Vehicle operations 1st Aid
• Self defense Firearms
• Report writing Criminal
  Investigations
• Georgia law Simulated field
  exercises
• Hazardous Materials Mechanics of arrest

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Probationary Period

• This is the time the department needs to evaluate
  the new employee to see if he/she can perform the
  job effectively
• Probationary periods last from 6 months to 3
  years

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The End