Chapter FiveChapter FivePolice Officers I: Police Officers I: Entering Police Entering Police

WorkWork

Police in AmericaPolice in America

© 2013 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.McGraw-Hill

5-2

The Changing American Police The Changing American Police OfficerOfficer

More female, African American, Hispanic More female, African American, Hispanic officers compared to 40 years agoofficers compared to 40 years ago

Many college educated or hold mastersMany college educated or hold masters’’ degreesdegrees

Openly gay and lesbian officersOpenly gay and lesbian officers

5-3

Aspects of the Personnel ProcessAspects of the Personnel Process

A Career PerspectiveA Career Perspective Many departments have personnel problems Many departments have personnel problems

because:because:• DonDon’’t train recruits properlyt train recruits properly• DonDon’’t supervise officer adequatelyt supervise officer adequately• Poor evaluation systemsPoor evaluation systems• Failure to disciplineFailure to discipline• Failure to provide career opportunitiesFailure to provide career opportunities• DonDon’’t promote the best officerst promote the best officers

5-4

Beyond Stereotypes of CopsBeyond Stereotypes of Cops

Stereotypes can be either positive or Stereotypes can be either positive or negativenegative Positive: Heroic saints, risking their livesPositive: Heroic saints, risking their lives Negative: Uneducated, untrained, prejudiced, Negative: Uneducated, untrained, prejudiced,

brutal or corruptbrutal or corrupt

These stereotypes can discourage women These stereotypes can discourage women from becoming police officersfrom becoming police officers

5-5

The Personnel Process: A Shared The Personnel Process: A Shared ResponsibilityResponsibility

Shared with other governmental agencies Shared with other governmental agencies (civil service system)(civil service system)

Attracting a pool of applicants: Attracting a pool of applicants: Minimum qualifications Minimum qualifications The recruitment effortThe recruitment effort ApplicantApplicant’’s motivations to applys motivations to apply

5-6

RecruitmentRecruitment Minimum QualificationsMinimum Qualifications

Most departments - 21 years of ageMost departments - 21 years of age Height and Weight Height and Weight EducationEducation

• 82% high school diploma82% high school diploma• Educational incentive payEducational incentive pay

Criminal recordCriminal record No felony—Drug offenses major problemNo felony—Drug offenses major problem Misdemeanor?Misdemeanor?

ResidencyResidency About 25% of departments require living within About 25% of departments require living within

the city limitsthe city limits

5-7

Choosing Law Enforcement as a Choosing Law Enforcement as a CareerCareer

Applicants motivationsApplicants motivations Help peopleHelp people Job securityJob security Fight crimeFight crime ExcitementExcitement PrestigePrestige

Barriers to recruitmentBarriers to recruitment Negative image of officersNegative image of officers Traditionally male occupationsTraditionally male occupations

5-8

Selecting Officers from the Recruit Selecting Officers from the Recruit PoolPool

Selection testsSelection tests Oral interviewsOral interviews Written and medical examsWritten and medical exams

Background InvestigationsBackground Investigations Previous employment, possible criminal Previous employment, possible criminal

record, interviews with neighborsrecord, interviews with neighbors Educational background, financial status, Educational background, financial status,

home visithome visit

5-9

Screening Methods Used by Local Screening Methods Used by Local Police Depts. (2003)Police Depts. (2003)

MethodMethod % Dept Using% Dept Using Personal interviewPersonal interview 9999 Criminal record checkCriminal record check 100100 Background investigationBackground investigation 9999 Driving record checkDriving record check 9999 Medical examMedical exam 8989 Psychological screenPsychological screen 7272 Drug testDrug test 8383 Written aptitude testWritten aptitude test 4848 Physical agility testPhysical agility test 6060 Polygraph examPolygraph exam 2626

5-10

Predicting Police Officer Predicting Police Officer PerformancePerformance

The difficulty of predicting good police The difficulty of predicting good police performance:performance: Screening Methods Screening Methods Measuring Police PerformanceMeasuring Police Performance Screening Efforts vs. Actual Job PerformanceScreening Efforts vs. Actual Job Performance

5-11

Equal Employment OpportunityEqual Employment Opportunity

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights ActTitle VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act Race, color, religion, sex, or national Race, color, religion, sex, or national

originorigin Protected classProtected class

1972 Equal Employment 1972 Equal Employment Opportunity ActOpportunity Act

1990 Americans With Disabilities Act1990 Americans With Disabilities Act Bona Fide Occupational Bona Fide Occupational

QualificationQualification

5-12

““Not Your FatherNot Your Father’’s Police s Police DepartmentDepartment””: Diversity in Policing: Diversity in Policing

Employment of Racial and Employment of Racial and Ethnic MinoritiesEthnic Minorities Reflect the composition of Reflect the composition of

the community it servesthe community it serves

Hispanic and Latino Hispanic and Latino officersofficers Fastest growing populationFastest growing population Spanish-speaking officers Spanish-speaking officers

recruitedrecruited

WomenWomen More seriously More seriously

underrepresented than underrepresented than racial or ethnic minoritiesracial or ethnic minorities

Concentrated in lower Concentrated in lower ranks ranks

Gay and Lesbian officersGay and Lesbian officers Increasingly open over the Increasingly open over the

last 20 yearslast 20 years

African American OfficersAfrican American Officers Previously underrepresented in the police forcePreviously underrepresented in the police force Employment discrimination litigation has helped to increase Employment discrimination litigation has helped to increase

number of African American officers in the police forcenumber of African American officers in the police force

5-13

Achieving Diversity in Police Achieving Diversity in Police EmploymentEmployment

U.S. Supreme Court held that diversity is a U.S. Supreme Court held that diversity is a ““compelling state of interestcompelling state of interest””

Three basic goalsThree basic goals Ensure employer is not discriminatingEnsure employer is not discriminating Improve police serviceImprove police service Improve image of police departmentImprove image of police department

Employment Discrimination SuitsEmployment Discrimination Suits Controversy over affirmative actionControversy over affirmative action The question of quotasThe question of quotas

Reverse discriminationReverse discrimination

5-14

The Police Academy The Police Academy

Provides formal trainingProvides formal training Pre-service trainingPre-service training

Process for weeding out unqualified Process for weeding out unqualified recruitsrecruits

Field trainingField training

Rite of passage that socializes recruitsRite of passage that socializes recruits State training and certificationState training and certification

5-15

Training Training

Police AcademyPolice Academy Big departments Big departments

have own academyhave own academy Small departments Small departments

use state-run use state-run academiesacademies

Field trainingField training FTO programFTO program 2/3 of departments 2/3 of departments

use this processuse this process

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Average number of hours1,000,000

500,000-999,999

250,000-499,999

100,000-249,999

50,000-99,999

25,000-49,999

10,000-24,999

2,500-9,999

under2,500

5-16

State Training and CertificationState Training and Certification Every state has some form of mandated pre-service Every state has some form of mandated pre-service

training for certificationtraining for certification State-required content of trainingState-required content of training DecertificationDecertification Shortcomings of current police training:Shortcomings of current police training:

DonDon’’t cover important subjects like discretion and t cover important subjects like discretion and ethicsethics

Pre-service training not adequatePre-service training not adequate Classroom training alone is not adequateClassroom training alone is not adequate

5-17

The Probationary PeriodThe Probationary Period

Can range to six months to two years after Can range to six months to two years after being sworn in as an officerbeing sworn in as an officer

Officer can be dismissed without cause Officer can be dismissed without cause during this periodduring this period Rules for this process determined by local Rules for this process determined by local

civil service regulationscivil service regulations Average of 7 percent of all recruits Average of 7 percent of all recruits

dismissed during this perioddismissed during this period