NCJ Number
26127
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 42 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1975) Pages: 28-30
Date Published
1975
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PALO ALTO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PERSONNEL SELECTION TECHNIQUES, WHICH INVOLVE JOB SIMULATION EXERCISES AND A PAIRED-RANKING SYSTEM FOR OBJECTIVELY EVALUATING CANDIDATES.
Abstract
IN DEVELOPING A NEW PERSONNEL ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUE, TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO PROMOTIONAL SELECTION WERE FIRST CONSIDERED. IT IS NOTED THAT SUCH TRADITIONAL METHODS AS SENIORITY, ORAL EXAMINATIONS, WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS, AND INTERVIEWS ALLOW SUBJECTIVE FACTORS TO INFLUENCE DEVISIONS AND DO NOT MEASURE PERFORMANCE ON THOSE BEHAVIORS NECESSARY FOR EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING. SEVERAL CRITERIA FOR PERSONNEL SELECTION WERE THEN DEVELOPED. TO AID IN EVALUATION, A LIST OF THE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES OF A POLICE SERGEANT AND THE BEHAVIOR TRAITS OF SERGEANTS WHO EFFECTIVELY HANDLE THESE RESPONSIBILITIES WAS DEVELOPED. FROM THIS LIST, THE JOB SIMULATION TEST WAS DESIGNED. THE SECOND METHOD UTILIZED FOR PERSONNEL EVALUATION WAS THE OBJECTIVE JUDGEMENT QUOTIENT. IN THIS METHOD, CANDIDATES ARE PAIRED UP WITH OTHER CANDIDATES IN EVERY POSSIBLE COMBINATION OF TWOS. POLICE MANAGEMENT AND THE CANDIDATES THEMSELVES THEN RANK THE MEMBERS OF EACH PAIR AND THE RESULTS ARE COMPUTER PROCESSED TO INDICATE THE RANKING OF ALL CANDIDATES. RESULTS OBTAINED BY USING THESE METHODS IN PALO ALTO ARE DESCRIBED.