Section 2 Flashcards
Hiring
-Hierarchical nature of policing makes hiring key
~Recruit today could be chief in 20 years
~Suprevisors chosen from lower ranks
-Good recruits important to
~Social, legal, and political contexts
~Social contract requirements
Early Recruitment
-Began in the 1840s (NYPD 1844)
-During the Political Era
~Corrupt, unfair
~No requirements
~Little to no training needed
-Pendleton Act 1883
~Federal government positions awarded on merit
~Required exams to see if qualified for jobs
~Could not be fired for political reasons
~Federal act, but states soon followed
*NO LONGER POLITICAL!
Historically
-Policing seen as “way out” = professional success
-Today still similar
~Recruits are usually middle class (“Blue Collar”/ working class)
~KEY COMPONENT = job security (salary, benefits, promotion, etc.)
-Recruitment standards
Modern Recruitments
-Minimum Qualifications (RPD)
~Based on Nevada Administrative Code Section 289.110
~No person may be appointed to perform the duties of a peace officer unless he/she
*Has undergone a complete and documented investigation of his/her background, which verifies that he/she has good moral character and meets the minimum standards established by the Commission of Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (POST)
*IS a citizen of the United States
*Is at least 21 years of age at the time of his/her appointment
*Has successfully completed the 12th grade or has been certified by an appropriate authority as having an equivalent education; and
*Has undergone a medical examination performed by a licensed physician who confirms in writing that no physical condition exists that would affect his/her performance of the duties of a peace officer. The employing agency shall inform the examining physician of the specific functions required by the position to be filled
~A person may not be appointed to perform the duties if he/she has:
*Been convicted of a felony in this State or of any offense which would be a felony if committed in this State
*Been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude to the unlawful use, sale, or possession of a controlled substance; or
*A documented history of physical violence
Recruitment Concerns
-Women?
-Minorities?
-LGBT community?
Recruitment Concerns
-Education
~Pros
*College produces “well-rounded” individuals
*Complexity of society requires complex skills
*Better communication and writing skills
*Promotion, Promotion, Promotion
**Education may not be required, but promoted are educated
~Cons
*College requirements can discriminate
*Policing is learned on the streets
*No evidence education makes better officers
*College education leads to frustration with the job
*82% required HS diploma
*1% require a college degree
*1% require some college credits
Recruitment Methods
-Career Fairs
-Nationwide Recruiting
-Social Media
-Targeted Marketing
-Partner with minority police officer associations
-Engage early and often
Hurdle Process
-Meeting minimum qualifications is only the first step of the recruitment process
~Tests and background checks
~Designed to remove poor candidates
~3-6 months + at times
~Problem
*Good candidates pass on the job
Written and Physical Exams
-Written exam
~Reading comprehension/writing.math/grammar/analytical skill
~70% or above
~Research unsure about impact on careers
-Physical exam
~Pass or Fail
~Varies by department
Personal Interview
-Used by 99% of all agencies
-Usually appear individually before the board(s)
-Assess aspects not measurable on tests
-Situational questions
Background Checks
-Background Includes
~Prior behaviors (drug use/criminal records)
~Family and friends
~Social media
~Tattoos
~Employment issues
~Finances and credit history (97% of departments do credit history checks)
~References
~And much more…
Polygraph Exam
-Detects lies and deception
-Base and control questions
-Records many physiological indicators
*Blood pressure, pulse, respiration, skin conductivity
**Voice Stress Analysis
Psychological Screening
-Psychological tests
~Suitable and stable for police work?
~Emotional stability, aggressiveness, personality disorders, etc.
Medical and Drug Screening
-Test physical ability to perform duties of the job
-Varies by department
-Hearing tests
-Physical exam
Finally…
-Offical job offer
-Prep for academy
~Orientation
~Physical fitness
~Uniforms
~Equipment (holster, guns, clips, magazines, etc.)
The Police Academy
-P.O.S.T
~Peace Officer Standards and Training
-648 across the US
-18-20 per class
-86% completion rate
Peace Officers
-CATEGORY 1
~Typical Nevada police officer
~Arrest powers, carry firearms, and conduct vehicle pursuits
~Unrestricted duties
-CATEGORY 2
~Bailiffs, investigators, probation and parole, school police
~Essentially same responsibilities and powers as Category 1
-CATEGORY 3
~Limited to correctional sevices
Training Hours
-Average of 760 hours of basic training
~Nevada minimus
*Cat 1 480 hours, Cat 2 200 hours, Cat 3 160 hours
-Other careers
~Doctors
*4 years
~Attorneys
*3 years
~Barbers
*1500 hours
Training Topics
-Operations 172 hours
-Weapons/Self-Defense 123 hours
-Legal 52 hours
-Self-Improvement 75 hours
-Community policing 27 hours
-Special Topics 34 hours
-Total
~483 hours
Firearms Training
-12.4% of training (60 hours)
-Public opinion
~3 in 10 believe police officers fire their weapons a few times a year
~83% estimate typical officer has been fired at least once in their career
-In actuality
~Only 27% have EVER fired their service weapon (National Police Research Platform, 2016)
Issues with Academies
-Content
~Little communications, ethics, human relations, etc.
~Poor instructors
~Old training facilities/ poor infrastructure
-Delivery
~Paramilitary structure
*“Us v. them” mentality (Skolnick and Fyfe 1993)
*“Cops as soldiers” mentality frustrating
-Danger
~Role overstressed (Kappeler et al., 1998)
~Recruits misinformed about police dangers
*90% of academy time deals with “danger-related skills”
-Too much focus on:
~Firearms training
~Dangerous calls
~”Officer Survival”
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017
-Rates per 100,000 (job-related deaths)
~Fisherman
~Loggers
~Airplane Pilots
~Roofers
~Recyclable material collectors
~Iron and steel workers
~Truck and sales drivers
~Farmers
~Grounds maintenance workers
~Electrical power-line installer and repair
Results?
-Militarization of police
-Negative social impact on community
Post Academy Training
-FTO
~Field Training Officer
*San Jose, CA (1972)
*Probation
*Assigned to older/ veteran officer
*Proven to reduce civil liability
*Risk of passing on “old” techniques
-PTO
~Police Training Officer
*Reno, NV (1999)
*FTO + additional requirements
-Formal education model
~ Agency-wide approach to problems
~Target “core competencies” of policing