NCJ Number
151276
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 42 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1994) Pages: 100-101,106-108
Date Published
1994
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Although many police agencies find it difficult to recruit qualified applicants, recruiters who are determined and active should be able to fine more than enough qualified police officers.
Abstract
According to comments from several law enforcement administrators, the ideal applicant would be a female at least 5 feet tall or a male at least 5 feet 9 inches tall, weigh at least 100 pounds if female and 150 pounds if male, and weigh no more than 250 pounds. The ideal recruit would have at least a 2-year college degree, preferably in criminal justice; be between 21 and 45 years of age; have no criminal record; and be able to pass psychological and polygraph testing. It would also be beneficial if the applicant spoke a second language fluently, had experience in the use of firearms, and could pass rigid physical fitness tests. More than half the people contacted for this article said that it is becoming more difficult to recruit qualified applicants. A few believe that different hiring standards should be used for males and females to increase the numbers of female police. Most departments use traditional recruiting methods. Recruiters make little use of regional registries, open houses, and trade journals, even though newspaper advertisements are the most successful source for recruits. Portland has an active recruiting program that includes open houses at police facilities, recruiting brochures distributed to colleges, slide shows, a ride-along program, and a full-time police officer who teaches a law-focused education program in high schools. Other approaches include considering every police officer a recruiter, hiring from a reserve force, and using college students as community service officers and promoting them to full-time officers as the need arises.