HOUSTON (TX) - A VALIDITY STUDY OF POLICE OFFICER SELECTION, TRAINING AND PROMOTION, V 5 - EVALUATION OF THE SELECTION REQUIREMENTS OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

• NCJ Number: 51945
• Author(s): J A DUBIN; P R JEANERET
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 271 pages
• Grant Number(s): AC-75-B-0331-57
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Lifson, Wilson, Ferguson and Winick, Inc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT'S (TEXAS) SELECTION PRACTICES ARE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE THE PHYSICAL AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS IMPORTANT TO THE JOB AND THE SELECTION PROCESS.

Abstract

THE METHODOLOGY USED IN EVALUATING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY-LEVEL POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS INCLUDES AN ANALYSIS OF ADVERSE-IMPACT PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH SELECTION VARIABLES, CONSIDERATION OF THE TOPICS' JOB RELATEDNESS, AND A REVIEW OF LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS, VALIDATION RESEARCH FINDINGS, AND OTHER BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS. THE PHYSICAL SELECTION REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE EVALUATED IN THIS STUDY INCLUDE PHYSICAL ABILITIES, HEIGHT, WEIGHT, MEDICAL HEALTH, PHYSICAL CONDITION, AND VISION AND HEARING. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTIC REQUIREMENTS EXAMINED ARE CITIZENSHIP, RADICAL-GROUP AFFILIATIONS, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ACADEMIC POTENTIAL, CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS, MILITARY HISTORY, RESIDENCY, EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT, AND APPEARANCE AND BEARING DURING THE EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT ABSOLUTE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO THE FOLLOWING VARIABLES SHOULD BE IMPOSED EQUALLY ON ALL APPLICANTS: RESIDENCY, AGE, EDUCATION, CRIMINAL HISTORY, DRIVER'S LICENSE AND DRIVING HISTORY, DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE, MENTAL HEALTH, FALSIFICATION OF INFORMATION, MEDICAL HISTORY, PHYSICAL CONDITION, VISION AND HEARING, AND WORK SAMPLE TESTS. TOPICS WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS BUT WHICH ARE NOT ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE MILITARY HISTORY, COLLEGE HISTORY, FINANCIAL CREDIT, MARITAL STABILITY, AND OTHERS. RESEARCH FINDINGS WERE INCONCLUSIVE FOR REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, MARITAL STATUS, AND UNWED PARENTHOOD. SINCE NONE OF THESE ITEMS HAS BEEN VALIDATED, THEY ARE NOT JUSTIFIABLE REASONS FOR DISQUALIFYING APPLICANTS, ALTHOUGH INFORMATION ON SOME OF THESE TOPICS MIGHT REVEAL SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT STANDARDIZE AND SEQUENCE SELECTION PROCEDURES, THE POLYGRAPH BE RETAINED BUT ITS USE BE WELL DEFINED AND STRUCTURED, AND ACADEMIC AND JOB PERFORMANCE DATA BE COLLECTED TO SERVE AS CRITERIA IN FUTURE RESEARCH. APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS AND PHYSICAL AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTIC JOB ANALYSIS DATA ARE APPENDED. TABULAR DATA AND A CHART ARE INCLUDED.