NCJ Number
126769
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1990) Pages: 258-269
Date Published
1990
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A questionnaire was mailed to all 49 State police departments and to the departments in the 50 largest U.S. cities to inquire about tests and other officer selection procedures, costs, recommendations for new techniques and procedures, and training programs.
Abstract
Thirty-six (73.5 percent) of the State agencies and 26 (52 percent) of the city agencies responded. Tests and procedures differed little between State and municipal police departments. Four main types of written tests were reported -- cognitive (given by 91.9 percent of the departments) which measure verbal, math, reasoning, clerical, and perceptual aptitudes; personality; interest inventory; and biographical data. Physical strength and agility tests were used much more by State police departments (86.1 percent) than by municipal departments (66.7 percent). Sixty percent of the departments use life-simulation tests, and 56.6 percent use polygraph tests (municipal at 73.1 percent and State at 44.4 percent). Seventy-three percent of the departments spent more than $150 per candidate. Among the recommendations were tests for physical strength and agility and expected employment permanency with no adverse impact and less fallible, more accurate, simplified, and inexpensive drug testing. All 36 responding States and 24 of the 26 municipal departments have their own training academy. 7 tables, 2 endnotes, 1 acknowledgement, and 48 references