Hiring Qualified Officers: The First Step in an Ethical Organization

 

by Dr. Dorothy McCoy

CEO, McCoy Training Advisors

www.mccoytrainingadvisors.com

This chapter is an exercise in literature research and professional experience. Though, I have not used the majority of the instruments referenced I have used several in pre-employment assessments for various law enforcement agencies. The information came from researching journals, personal phone conversations and personal emails approaching experts in the field.

Becoming an Officer

Becoming a law enforcement officer is not without significant hurdles the applicants must successfully navigate before they can realize their dream of a career in policing. It would be difficult to name another career, other than quite lucrative ones, with more rigorous entry standards. Quite often, especially with larger departments an applicant may simply give up after waiting months or even years for acceptance in an academy.  The process is rigorous because their duties are unique. Officers have arrest authority and are sanctioned to use deadly force if absolutely necessary. They can deprive their fellow citizens of property and freedom.  

Defining Ethical

We can all agree that ethical and effectual law enforcement are goals toward which leaders must strive.  In a personal communication, former DEA Chief of International operations, Michael Vigil said, “Ethics in policing is critical and central to decisions involving discretion, force, rule of law, and due process that requires police officers to make sound moral judgments.

Defining ethical and ethics is more problematic. Ethical defined by Merriman-Webster is “conforming to accepted standards of conduct.” Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus defines an ethic as just, fair and honest. Ethical police professionalism provides the highest standard of policing.   Dr. Gary W. Sykes (1993), Director of the Southwestern Law Enforcement Institute, wrote “The quality of policing in a democratic society must rely on the quality of the people doing the work” (p. 4).

Western Community Policing Institute’s website described ethical law enforcement decision making as, “applying the Constitution, Code of Ethics, and the Golden Rule...”  Successful officers must have the ability to understand the constitution as it affects their professional performance and according to their academy training. Alexander Solzhenitsyn touched on the issue facing leaders in law enforcement as they build ethical organizations, “Even the most rational approach to ethics is defenseless if there isn't the will to do what is right.” Law enforcement leaders must build an effective successful process for choosing officers who have the ability to decide what is ethical and the will to choose and follow the ethical path.
Peter singer (1995) defines ethics as, “To live ethically is to think about things beyond one’s own interests. When I think ethically I become just one being, with needs and desires of my own, certainly, but living among others who also have needs and desires (Banks, 2004, p. 1). Price Pritchett posits, “Your ethical muscle grows stronger every time you choose right over wrong.” Therefore, once a selection process is developed and officers are chosen they must be mentored and guided to flex and build their ethical muscle. Because, as Thomas Paine warned, “Character is much easier kept than recovered.”  Thus leaders would do well to choose ethical applicants, train them thoroughly and supervise their professional growth.

Perhaps, we can all agree that defining a concept such as ethics is challenging, especially in our new multinational world view environment. Leaders in each organization must take responsibility for defining ethics for their purposes and making their vision perfectly clear to all personnel. Your officers will understand your commitment to ethical decisions and practices as well as you do.
My First Experience in Pre-Employment Evaluations

I began my adventure law enforcement selection process in 2005 with a sheriff’s department in South Carolina. The sheriff was newly elected and he was open to considering the advantages of a more sophisticated approach to selecting deputies and jailers than the basic interview and background check. At that time, South Carolina did not require a psychological evaluation in the hiring process for new law enforcement officers and still does not.  The Sheriff learned to respect the predictive value of assessment instruments in conjunction with a thorough background check and a structured interview. His department moved firmly forward toward law enforcement pre-employment assessments in the 21^st Century.  Progress is not always a straight line; the next Sheriff reversed direction to the “the way we have always done it”. During that same period I completed their officer reserve training program and became a South Carolina State Constable.

Why use a Professional Selection Process?

There are many excellent reasons for agencies to approach officer selection process as the highest priority in their organization.  It is quite expensive and time consuming to train a new officer, thus getting it right the first time is economical. Law enforcement budgets have been shrinking for the past several years and economy is becoming not only a good practice, it is essential.  A recent survey by the IACP determined that over half of the respondents indicated that their agency was severely affected by the new economy, 85% were forced to reduce their budgets. 

Choosing the best qualified applicants, especially considering psychological, ethical and emotional variables is imperative to the welfare of the organization, the officers and the public.   Cochrane, Tett and Vandecreetk (2003) quoting Hibler and Kurke (1995) defined “psychological suitability as “the presence of personal factors that contribute to human reliability and the absence of those that create unreliability” (p. 28). They also mention the importance of limiting absenteeism, lateness, poor morale, disciplinary interviews and the most importantly, of course, potential harm to citizens and other officers. We must also consider harm to the officer.  Psychologically and/or emotionally unsatisfactory applicants may not be well suited for the rigidities and pressures of a law enforcement career.

As stated in the California POST Pre-offer Personality Testing Manuel (June 2010), “The job requires leadership, interpersonal skills, initiative, integrity, perseverance, conscientiousness, judgment, adaptability, and creativity. The working conditions are dangerous and stressful; stakes are high both personally and to public safety” (p. 3). Henson, Reyns, Klahm and Frank (2010) refer to the “data driven police strategies such as COMPSTAT and intelligence led policing reply on officer use of crime and intelligence data” as usual in police work in the 21^st Century” (p. 6). Few careers offer the varied challenges presented to law enforcement officers. Naturally, such a demanding career necessitates stringent standards in the evaluation process. On many fronts, it behooves departments to observe best practices in hiring practices.

The Changing Face of Police Work

Bayley and Nixon (September 2010) described the changing face of law enforcement between 1985 and 2008. In the 1980’s crime was increasing at an astounding rate. In 1985, there was almost a threefold increase in crime from 1, 887 per 100,000 to 5,803 per 100,000 in 1990 (p. 2). Due to changes resulting from the crime crisis trends began to reverse. Various studies recommended “hiring more police,” “random motorized patrolling,” “foot patrols,” “rapid response to calls,” and “routine criminal investigation” (p.2). Community policing and problem oriented policing evolved and the police moved toward a partnership with their respective communities. Many believe that Bill Bratton’s zero tolerance using COMSTAT in New York City was another incredibly successful major police initiative (p.2).

These more sophisticated and technologically advanced initiatives added new dimensions to the law enforcement career.  Computers and data bases have been ingrained in law enforcement since the 1980s. These marvelous 21^st Century technical advances require a more sophisticated officer to manipulate them.  Community policing and problem-solving policing require good people skills and advanced problem solving and critical thinking skills.  Fortunately, there are assessment instruments that assess these skills. Without an effective selection process it is difficult to evaluate the “soft skills” that are so necessary in any version of community policing.

Henson, Reyns, Klahm and Frank (2010) stress the complexity of  modern policing, “community oriented policing suggests that policing be decentralized and that officers solve community problems by being both proactive and creative, while involving community members in the coproduction of safety and security (Bueger, 1994; Cordner, 1995; Mastrofski, 1992; Trojanowiecz & Bucquerox, 1990)” (p. 5). Instruments to test for creativity are well established, though not usually employed for law enforcement assessment.  Perhaps, it is time to change that.  One dimension of creativity is divergent thinking, which is the ability to create many possible solutions to a problem.  Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) (1974) is one instrument for “measuring” divergent thinking. Another dimension of creativity is convergent thinking, the ability to look at the many solutions (from divergent thinking) and choose a “best” solution. Remotes Associations Task (Mednick) is one instrument for evaluating convergent thinking. The relevance of creativity for law enforcement officers is obvious, especially in the multifaceted 21^st Century policing environment. Henson and colleagues state that the “quality of police personnel has perhaps become the key element in the effective execution of police goals.

Techy Law Enforcement

To have some idea how prevalent technology has become in law enforcement, consider this—I entered technology in law enforcement in Google and 66,700,000 websites popped up.  There are numerous magazines such as Law Enforcement Technology and Law Enforcement Products News devoted to the latest technological wonders designed for law enforcement professionals. Many Dick Tracy futuristic tools are about to reach fruition.  Scent and sound crowd control is a realistic alternative to more intrusive and unpleasant alternatives. Of course, we are all familiar with unmanned drones and their effectiveness in targeting subjects—whether we consider them humane or not. Another high tech crowd control system is the Active Denial System, which is high frequency directed microwaves. Nanotechnology is especially interesting, “nanotechnology can improve everything from bullet proof armored fabrics, to the effect bullets have on the body once coming in contact with a target’s flesh, to reproducing latent evidence from crime scenes by using biological remnants of DNA and other particles” (listverse, 2011). This trend will not abate; it will only change at a faster pace and become more complex. Agencies will have to be prepared for these advances.   

The successful officer of the 1950s and 1960s would not recognize the Steve Jobs techy world of policing today, and probably would not fit in comfortably without substantial training. Fortuitously, advanced assessment instruments have kept pace with the evolving law enforcement community and its unique needs.

Advancements in Hiring Procedures

The National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals gave a boost to a more sophisticated, uniform process in making hiring decision. The Commission recommended that every agency should follow a prescribed hiring procedure that included a written test of mental ability or aptitude, an oral interview, a psychological examination and a background check.   

This was followed by the International Chiefs of Police in 1998. The IACP made recommendations for psychological evaluations. They covered the basics, instrument validation, government compliance (i.e., Americans with Disabilities Act), report content and the use of qualified psychologists. The IACP remains an excellent resource for guidance. Due to the Americans with Disability Act agencies are not allowed to ask medical questions such as about psychopathology, physical agility tests and drug testing.  Another consideration is the guidelines in Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, which precludes the use of different norms for individuals along gender and race lines.   

It is simply a good business practice and any business would consider accepted best practices in creating their hiring procedure. Optimal employees improve productivity, reduce turnover and absenteeism, and have a legally defensible process if it becomes necessary to defend hiring practices.

Delving Deeper

Previously, in the hiring dark ages, employers attempted to assess an applicant based on his or her presence, application and personality. Unfortunately, most of us are not gifted in delving into the true character of an applicant that lies beneath the persona façade. We all put our best foot forward in interviews; it would be counterproductive for the applicant to do otherwise.

Law enforcement Selection Process

Naturally, the first line of defense against unethical, inappropriate and/or unsuccessful law enforcement officers is the selection process.  One must remember that law enforcement is an especially demanding career. Some applicants will be better suited for this career, due to their unique characteristics, than others. Pre-employment assessments are the heart of the hiring process and they are administered after a conditional offer of employment has been made. If done well, assessments can help to improve the “fit” and productivity of the officer.  The process also helps to create the most advantageous atmosphere for organizational efficiency and overall morale and communication.  It is exceptionally expensive to train a law enforcement officer. Therefore, to use limited resources to their best advantage great care should be taken in choosing officers. I have endeavored to create a comprehensive listing of the most popular types of instruments and assessments.   In many cases there will be numerous instruments under each type.  It would be impossible to list all of the resources available in this brief chapter. I would suggest conferring with a professional when making these choices. The process many begin with pre-employment stage, according to the IACP website (2012), “Pre-employment psychological screening can be used as part of the selection process for sworn officers and also for dispatchers, confidential records personnel, crime scene technicians, and evidence and property custodians.” The Halo and Horn Qualities What are those elusive “good” officer qualities we so relentlessly pursue?  It is much easier to determine the characteristics we do not want. One study, Sanders (2008), evaluated the effectiveness of using personality traits in the selection process, specifically using the Big Five.  Her data indicate that age and attitude were more useful predictors of job performance.  The Sanders study indicates that a negative attitude adversely colors performance. Researchers using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) with a sample of 800 officer candidates revisited them after one year to analyze significant behavior problems in this group (Hughes and, Andre, 2012). The results indicated that “antisocial egocentricity” maybe a predictor of insubordination and “excessive citizen complaints” (p. 2).  After Hiring Ethical Officers As you see, there are many testing instruments that make the hiring process more effective.  However, after employment new officers they are regularly exposed to what could be corrosive situations.  They need support, training and mentoring to withstand the wear and tear of professional policing. In 1961 the US commission on Civil Rights suggested taking a proactive stance on officer misconduct by creating an Early Warning System (EWS)(Hughes & Andre,2012).   Most large departments now have EWS data bases to track behaviors that indicative of a trouble officer. Management interventions are used to tutor officers who are identified by the system. Best Practices I spoke with Kim Kohlhepp (Assessment Center) at the IACP by telephone and he is not aware of documented best practices procedures for choosing assessment instruments. He does suggest using instruments designed specifically for law enforcement. Dr. Kohlhepp is an excellent resource. I also talked with Gary L. Fischler, Ph.D., ABPP and he suggested that it is common practice to use psychological tests, both abnormal and normal, and a cognitive test. He also agreed that structured interviews are important. We did not discuss other types of assessments (i.e. physical agility). I have discussed specific quizzes with a number of providers; we will view these quizzes later in the chapter. According to Peter A. Weiss (Personality Assessment in Police Psychology: A 21st Century Perspective, 2010, Charles C. Thomas Publisher,) “the IACP pre-employment psychological evaluation services guidelines clearly require that the selection of assessments for police applicants screening be based on job analysis, interview, surveys or other appropriate sources” (p.1). “Competency model are summaries of job related personal attributes required for successful performance within a position a set of potions and or organization. The patrol officer position is classified within Vangents Security occupation Module” (p. 163).

Assessment Centers (i.e., IACP)

 Because of their accurate simulation of the job and its duties, assessment centers have proven highly defensible as a selection strategy. Our assessment centers are comprehensive and customized. A variety of assessment methods are available to meet every selection need from entry level to top executive.

Review Tests On-line—Buros Institute of Mental Measurement

 

This service reviews over 3500 commercially available tests on-line.  As one might surmise, there is a fee for this service. The Institute site provides this description of their service, “Reviews are available for $15 per test title. Note that these reviews are descriptions and evaluations of the tests, not the actual tests themselves. To purchase the actual test materials, you will need to contact the test publisher(s)” (p. 1).

If you are considering various tests this service may be helpful in making a final termination.

http://www.unl.edu/buros/bimm/html/18tests.html

Types of Instruments and Resources

I.                   IQ Tests

There are many tests available that measure some variation of intelligence.

Tests Available (not a comprehensive listing)

Nelson-Denny Reading Test

Authors: James I. Brown, Vivian Vick Fishco, Gerald S. Hanna

Copyright: 1993

Purpose: to assess achievement and progress in vocabulary, comprehension and reading rate

Administration: Standard 35 minutes, extended time 56 minutes

http://www.riverpub.com/products/ndrt/index.html

 

Otis-Lennon School Ability Test-Eighth Edition

Available through Pearson Assessment

Purpose: to “assess verbal, nonverbal and quantitative ability” 

Administration: Paper and pencil, online and group; approximately 75 minutes depending on administration type

http://www.pearsonassessments.com/HAIWEB/Cultures/en-us/Productdetail.htm?Pid=015-8191-013

 

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal II

Available through Pearson Assessment

Purpose: Measure the “ability to think critically and problem solve”

Administration: Online administration and paper; time 30 to 60 minutes depending on form

 

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

Author: David Wechsler

Available through Pearson Assessment

Purpose: Measure of cognitive ability

Administration: Paper and pencil; 60 to 90 minutes

Wonderlic Personnel Test

                Available through Wonderlic

                Purpose: Measure general mental ability

                Administration: Three versions; pencil, online and offsite; time 8 to 12 minutes depending on               form

Devine Critical Thinking Inventory

                This is not an IQ test per se, but this is a convenient category for it. According to their material “it presents job candidates with verbal and quantitative informa­tion and requires them to determine which of several plausible conclusions is correct.”

                Available through the Devine Group

                Purpose: Measure critical thinking of leadership level employees

                Administration: On-line assessment 40 minute limit

II.                Developed for Law Enforcement

 

There are many assessment developed for law enforcement. Those listed below are popular examples.

·         IPMA Police Officers Selection Test (POST)

·         Law Enforcement Candidate Record (LECR)

·         Law Enforcement Selection Inventory

 Are IQ Tests Useful?

Should one use some type of intelligence test? It appears that there is a strong correlation between IQ and success at the academy and supervisor ratings. Many of these tests measure reading, math, vocabulary and logic and are reported in one score. Some tests only measured a single dimension.

However, various departments are filtering out applicants with very high IQs. As you know the average IQ is 100 with a standard deviation of 15.

In this case an applicant with an IQ of 125 was eliminated due to his IQ. The applicant sued.  “In a ruling made public on Tuesday, Judge Peter C. Dorsey of the United States District Court in New Haven agreed that the plaintiff, Robert Jordan, was denied an opportunity to interview for a police job because of his high test scores. But he said that that did not mean Mr. Jordan was a victim of discrimination.” http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/09/nyregion/metro-news-briefs-connecticut-judge-rules-that-police-can-bar-high-iq-scores.html

As we are all quite aware we are not recruiting for the police department of 1950, or even 1995. Law enforcement agencies are much more sophisticated than they were just a few years ago. Higher intelligence is essential in the techy world of good guys. That said, we must also be aware of the issues involved in using standard IQ tests.  

II. Education and Police Performance

According to Dr. Aamodt’s meta-analysis, it appears that education is a valid predictor of “performing better at the academy, receiving higher supervisor evaluations of job performance, having few disciplinary problems and accidents,  assaulted less often, use of force less often and miss fewer days of work” (p.51). We do not know if this difference disappears past a certain level of education.

Education does not appear to be a predictor for fewer injuries or more commendations.

There appeared to be no distinct advantage to having a criminal justice degree over other degrees. The “college effect” does not seem to make a discernible difference in the first two years of an officer’s career.

III.             Military Service and Police Performance

As a thank you for military service, military veterans are sometimes given preferential treatment.

According to the meta study there is little difference between prior military and other officers in performance.  Though, veterans’ commendation rating is slightly higher than non-veterans. This issue requires more study.

IV. Background information

As one might imagine, officers with arrests and work related problems were less likely to perform well than officers without these issues. Though, most often applicants with these issues were not hired so the study numbers were low. (Dr. Aamodt)

The background investigation appears to be an excellent indicator.

IV.              Personality Inventories

 

Dissimilar from measures of aptitude and ability, which lean toward to assessing maximum performance, personality measures normally assess usual performance. Unlike typical measures of cognitive ability (which have a history of controversy), personality instruments are less likely have a negative effect on EEOC protected groups.

1)      Measures of psychopathology and 2) measures of normal personality

Measures of Psychopathology

·         Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-I and 2)

·         Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI)

·         Million Multiaxial Clinical Inventory (MMCI III)

·         Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)

·         Clinical Adjustment Questionnaire (CAQ)

Naturally, this is a very limited listing as there are literally dozens of psychopathology measures. Because of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 these medical inventories can only be employed after a conditional offer of employment. *See end of chapter for more information

I will only discuss two of these measures, the MMPI and PAI. I would like to have the following journal if anyone has it. I believe it could add to this report:

“The neo pi-r, inwald personality inventory, and mmpi-2 in the prediction of police academy performance: A case for incremental validity”

American Journal of Criminal Justice

Volume 27, Number 2, 233-248, DOI: 10.1007/BF02885696

I sent an email to James N. Butcher, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor Department of Psychology University of Minnesota, Dr. Butcher has written two texts on the MMPI. I was told the MMPI has a version normed on successful officers and I would like to verify that. See below…
MMPI

According to the meta analysis “all of the correlations involving individual MMPI scales and measures of academy and patrol performance are low, and the great majority of the correlations are not statistically significant” (p. 94). However, this is the most commonly used instrument in law enforcement.

I had heard the MMPI had a version normed on law enforcement officers. However, I was unable to find anything to support this. I shot off an email to Dr. James M. Butcher (author of A Beginner’s Guide to the MMPI-2 (3rd ed.), Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association) and asked him this question. I received his answer in an email yesterday:

“The regular norms are used in the interpretation of the MMPI-2 for police

applicants.  However, there have been a data sets of police applicants used in

aiding the interpretation of their profiles.  In particular, the computer

assessment system, the Minnesota Report, provides normative data for this

application.  I am sending you some articles to provide further information.”

 

Good Cop and Bad Cop and Husemann Index are promising methods for using the MMPI.

Good Cop/Bad Cop Profile

 

This variation in interpreting scales on the MMPI was developed by Blu, Super and Brady (1993). A prediction of an applicant being a “good cop” is made when the applicant’s T scores are less than 60 on the HY, Hs, Pd, and the Ma scales and less than 70 on the other clinical scales. Brewster and Stoloff (1999) modified this technique to include three categories: good cop (no scores above the cutoff), borderline (one score above the cutoff), and bad cop (two or more scores above the cutoff). Further research is needed on the validity of this profile as well as whether a borderline category increases the profile utility” (p.42). Applied H.R.M. Research, 2004, Volume 9, Number 2, pages 41-52, Michael G. Aamodt, Radford University

The important thing to remember here, there are several variations similar to the Good Cop/Bad Cop that combine various scales. It is not within the scope of this report to explore all of the variants.

Sample Copy of MMPI-2 tm  Law Enforcement Interpretive Report

http://www.pearsonassessments.com/NR/rdonlyres/5A796452-FFF5-422F-A996-053DC5B9CACC/0/mmpi2lawenfinterp.pdf

 

Below you will find a brief example of one element of the MMPI-2 Law Enforcement Interpretive Report. It would be used as part of the totality of the assessment process. This example is for illustrative purposes. To view an entire sample copy use the website address above.

 

Law enforcement applicants with this MMPI-2 profile require careful evaluation for the possibility of impulsive or careless behavior. This applicant may not pay sufficient attention to detail, and he may be somewhat overbearing in relationships with other people. Although the applicant appears to be hard-driving and expansive, he may become overextended and have trouble completing projects. He is frequently overconfident and may make promises that are

difficult to keep. He also tends to dislike practical matters, preferring to be rather vague and superficial. There is some possibility that his interpersonal style may be a bit overbearing and might create strained relationships.

 

PAI

PAI® Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Public Safety Selection Report™ Professional Report Service

Developed using a U.S. census-matched normative sample of 1,000 community-dwelling adults, matched on the basis of gender, race and age, plus 1,256 patients from 69 clinical sites, and a college sample of 1,051 students, the Law Enforcement/Public Safety Report expands the test data with approximately 18,000 police/public safety applicants, and with police/public safety applicants of the same gender and ethnic group.

I used this instrument and found it quite useful.

PAI Sample Report Link http://www.resourceassociates.com/images/samplereports/Sample%20PAI%20Law%20Enforcement%20report.pdf

I have included some of the information your psychologist will receive from the PAI report. This is one item from the sample report that would go to your psychologist. As you will note it addressed the likelihood of problem behavior. Naturally, this information is only a minute part of the total assessment process and will be considered as only part of the total assessment process.  The website address above will provide a complete PAI sample report.

Sample from PAI Report

Likelihood of a negative behavioral history in job-relevant domains

The values in the following table indicate the likelihood (probability) that a personal history review with the applicant will elicit admissions of past problem behavior that police and public safety hiring authorities regard as possible negative indicators for the screening decision. These probability statements must be compared with other data sources such as the interview, background information, or polygraph results when formulating a selection recommendation. Refer to the Professional Issues chapter of the manual for additional information about the behaviors and cutoff scores used to define each job-relevant domain.

Likelihood of problem behavior

Job-relevant behavioral domain Probability Risk Level

Job-related problems 56 % High

Integrity problems 47 % Moderate

Anger management problems 89 % High

Alcohol use concerns 64 % High

Illegal drug use concerns 17 % Low

Substance abuse proclivity 72 % High 

·         California Psychological Inventory (CPI)

·         16PF (Basic Report Link)

http://www.pearsonassessments.com/NR/rdonlyres/ADFC3E33-7EFD-4A42-99CC-94545F61658E/0/16pf5basicinterp.pdf

 

·         Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS)

V. Polygraph

Review a credible guide, such as the one listed below, to decide if you wish to use the polygraph (many agencies and departments use this tool in selection) and how to use it in the most effective and ethical manner.

Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology

Integration of Pre-Employment Polygraph Screening into the Police Selection Process

“The authors provide a polygraph primer for police psychologists involved in law enforcement personnel selection. Law-enforcement pre-employment polygraph examinations are a decision-support tool intended to add incremental validity to the personnel selection process. Problems stemming from the use of the polygraph may be related to misunderstanding of the polygraph test and to field practices surrounding the use of polygraphy in the police selection process. Potential problems can result from ineffective selection of test issues, poorly constructed test questions and misguided policies surrounding the use of the polygraph. The authors review the history of polygraph screening, research, and field practices, and suggest that using polygraph results alone to disqualify a candidate from employment is a misguided field practice. Suggestions are offered for maximizing the decision-support value of the polygraph. Polygraph examination targets are discussed, with emphasis on selecting actuarially derived predictors associated with increased success in law enforcement training and job performance. The authors provide recommendations for field practice, and propose that police psychologists may be most suited to effectively integrate the polygraph results and information into the hiring recommendation process.”

http://www.springerlink.com/content/x13h8286v7050785/

VI. Interviews

The value of the structured interview is in the questions and the skill of the interviewer (training). The interview used in the studies is based on job analysis and all questions are related to the job for which the applicant is applying. Good interviewers are well trained and knowledgeable.  There is a very small positive correlation between interview score and job performance rating and academy success.

Since there are many variables in structured interviews it is difficult to analyze the results. A study should to be designed to employ standardized structured interviews in several departments.

VII. Video Test (Interpersonal Skills and Judgment)

The creators describe their video test as, “b-pad video tests assess an applicant’s interpersonal skills and judgment.  Scenarios portraying difficult interpersonal challenges are used to elicit a rich and wide variety of behavior.  Behavioral responses to standardized, realistic, job-relevant situations provide for the most valid prediction of future work behavior” (p. 1)

Author: D. Corey, D. MacApline, D. Rand, R. Rand, & G. Wolf

Source: Behavioral Personnel Assessment Devices

Administration: Applicant sits before a monitor and camcorder; administer in 30 minutes, score in 10 minutes

VIII. Integrity Tests

Integrity tests are used to identify the characteristics that increase the likelihood of engaging in counterproductive work behaviors. Overt integrity tests measure one’s attitude toward dishonest behavior and ask about prior behaviors.

“Integrity tests are almost all paper-and-pencil administered to job applicants at some stage of the screening and selection process. Some instruments, which are called “overt integrity

tests,” are clearly designed to query applicants about their attitudes toward specific manifestations of

dishonesty -- theft in particular -- and about their past involvement in such behavior”(p. 1).

 (The Use of Integrity Tests for pre-Employment Screening, September 1990, OTA-SET-442 NTIS order #PB91-107011—Congress of the United States)

It appears that the jury is still out on the effectiveness of these tests in predicting behavior. One research study appears to indicate that integrity tests (did not indicate test names) outperform the Five Factor Model in a number of areas in predictive ability. You will find the study abstract at
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=254019

You may also find this study interesting

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=12-18-2016&FMT=7&DID=2441472841&RQT=309&attempt=1&cfc=1

VIX. Summary and Resources

There are many tests available for performing pre-employment assessments. It is wise to consult with a professional when deciding which instruments are best suited to your agency.

You must have a thorough understanding of the EEOC guidelines as they address assessments.

http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/preemp.html

IACP Guidelines

http://theiacp.org/psych_services_section/pdfs/Psych-PreemploymentPsychEval.pdf

Again, when making choices about assessment instruments, practitioners and processes, always consult with your agency or organization attorney and association. The information in this report is purely informational based on researching the topic.  It is not prescriptive, nor does it endorse any particular method or instrument.  Dr. Aamodt will release his updated book on Research in Law Enforcement Selection this year. I would suggest acquiring it for your library.

http://listverse.com/2011/08/09/top-10-future-law-enforcement-technologies/ August 9, 2011 top ten future law enforcement technologies 3-24

http://www.westernrcpi.com/ethics.phpMerriman Webster Dictionary http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethical 3-24

http://www.theiacp.org/About/PressCenter/21stCenturyPolicing/tabid/937/Default.aspx 3-24

Ethics in policing is critical and central to decisions involving discretion, force, rule of law, and due process that require police officers to make sound moral judgments

 

Bibliography

Michael S. Vigil

Former DEA Chief of International Operations 

http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/4031_Banks_Chapter_1_Proof.pdf Banks 2004 The importance of Ethics in Criminal Justice Chapter 1

Gary W. Sykes, “Why Police Ethics?” The Ethics Roll Call, Vol. 1, No. 1 (October 1993): 4.

http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=2448&issue_id=82011 Assessing the Psychological Suitability of Candidates for Law Enforcement Positions

March 2012By Yossef S. Ben-Porath, Professor of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio; James M. Fico, Industrial and Organizational Psychologist, Alpha Courage, Waupaca, Wisconsin; Neil S. Hibler, Director, Special Psychological Services Group, Fairfax, Virginia; Robin Inwald (Retired), Inwald Research Incorporated, Cleverdale, New York; Joelle Kruml, Police Psychologist, Nicoletti-Flater Associates, Lakewood, Colorado; and Michael R. Roberts, President, Law Enforcement Services Incorporate

http://www.westernrcpi.com/training_other_menu.php

Beth A. Sanders, (2008) "Using personality traits to predict police officer performance", Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, Vol. 31 Iss: 1, pp.129 – 147

http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?article_id=1313&fuseaction=display&issue_id=102007

Problem Officer Variables and Early-Warning Systems