6.5: Recruitment and Hiring in Policing
Learning Objectives
- 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 Recruitment and Hiring
Recruitment and Hiring Example
The Law Enforcement Testing Preparation (LET Prep)
Written Test -LET Prep
- Reading Comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Spelling and Grammar
- Observation/Memory
- Deductive Reasoning/Inductive Reasoning
- Spatial Orientation
- Math
- Essay/Incident Report Writing/Written Communication
- Analytical Ability
Physical Agility Test- LET Prep
- Part One- Mobility Run: 1235 Foot Obstacle Run Where the Candidate Demonstrates Mobility, Agility, Flexibility, Power, and General Physical Endurance
- Part Two- Push Activity, Controlled Falls, Pull Activity
- Part Three- ‘Dummy’ Drag, 165-pound ‘Dummy’ is Drug 25 Feet
- A description of a ‘dummy’ suspect is given (this ‘dummy’ just committed a crime)
- The candidate runs through various obstacles; four-foot cyclone fence jump, window crawl through, one-hundred to three-hundred yard dash, and six-foot fence jump
- The candidate picks the suspect ‘dummy’ out of a lineup and drags the one-hundred+ pound suspect ‘dummy’ twenty+ feet
- Push-ups: a certain number, in a specified amount of time
- Sit-ups: a certain number, in a specified amount of time
- Pull-ups: a certain number, in a specified amount of time
- Two-mile run: in a specified amount of time (times are dependent on sex and age of candidate)
Oral Board Interview- LET Prep
- Tell us about yourself?
- Why do you want to be a police officer?
- What have you done to prepare for the job?
Oral Board Story
Assessment Center/B-Pad- LET Prep
Hiring Example
Background Investigation-LET Prep
Psychological Evaluation- LET Prep
Medical Examination- LET Prep
- Blood/urine/hair drug tests
- Hearing test
- Eye examination
- Lung capacity
- EKG
- Treadmill stress test
- Chest X-Ray
- Cholesterol test
- Various other blood tests
Chief or Sheriff Interview- LET Prep
Mentoring and Retaining