Abstract
The policing in the United States has changed over time, and the profession has evolved over time. The structure, characteristic and training of American police agencies and their daily operations have transformed with advanced technology. Looking back in the 1800s, there was a powerful relationship between politicians and the police during those times. However, times have changed, and policing has now moved to new dimensions beyond politics and reforms. The aim of this paper is to look at the complete procedure of hiring and training police officers.
Introduction
Police is often shown as a challenging and exciting profession in media. However, the ground reality is much different. Research shows that men and women look for a career in policing because of the prestige that comes along. The common motivations for becoming police officers are a good salary and job security. Some people have always desired to be a policeman while others chose policing as a profession as a result of recruitment exercises by police agencies.
The emerging and current situations in the society ask for a greater emphasis upon careful selection of Police recruitment. The issue of attracting qualified candidates in this profession has always been there. The modem police officer has to face the critical and complex demands that ask for a productive police performance. The curriculum, training atmosphere and classroom interaction play a role in developing the attitudes of recruits who plan to enter the police academy. Continual efforts are made to improve the policing training and practices to result in better preparing of recruits to police in an assorted society. The competition among police services is on the rise and the dwindling human resources only add to the competitive environment. There is a rise in the number of staffing of experienced applicants from other agencies (Hope, 2003) that have received a comprehensive training program.
The police officer is also known as a law enforcement officer, and his job covers an extensive realm. Apart from patrolling the areas assigned to them, he has to enforce laws, make arrests, respond to calls, respond to domestic disturbances and make traffic stops. He also has to patrol, make reports, and fill out forms, etc. There are certain minimum qualifications required for one to become a police officer. The applicant has to meet physical fitness, clear written exam and interviews, undergo a psychological evaluation, a background check and give a drug test.
It takes much more than education and training to serve and protect the society. The police officers need to have talent, dignity, loyalty, as well as the skills that are required to meet the challenges of their daily assignments. The path to Police Academy is a rigorous one. The candidates should be at least 21 years old, and they need to fill out an application and take a written test. The applicants have to undergo a strenuous physical agility exam and then take an oral interview, which assess their knowledge of law enforcement. Once the candidates clear the initial exams, a comprehensive background investigation is done on them before recruiting. Police officer applicants must pass all written and oral psychological tests and go through extensive medical exams, and some of these tests can be extremely grueling. After all, these officers have to be mentally and physically prepared to handle the challenges of law enforcement.
There are a variety of recruitment techniques developed by the police agencies to attract the best candidates. They visit schools, colleges, and universities to reach the potential applicants. Recruitment is also followed through advertisements in newspapers, job fairs, television, Internet, etc. Sometimes, the police agencies start early and visit the local high schools to spark interest in a policing career in the young populations. These recruitment efforts (Police personnel management, 1981)play an important role in impacting the quality of police officers that get hired ultimately. American police agencies are specifically trying to instill family-friendly policies to attract women in this field. Female police officers are encouraged to attend career fairs so as to attract female applicants in this profession. In order to attract more diverse applicants, many police agencies run groups and community meetings in racially diverse neighborhoods. It is essential to go beyond traditional recruiting efforts in order to attract the right pool of applicants.
One will find employment conditions by police agencies different from one another across the country. However, there are still some common and standard requirements that are essential for the aspirants to fulfil. The standard requirement for entering policing professions are to by minimum 21 years, be a U.S. citizen and carry high school diploma. The employment requirements for applicants can vary from state to state in the U.S., and each police agency will have their own requirements. Still, a universal requirement is to be a citizen of the United States, and carry a valid driver’s license. Plus, he should have no prior convictions relating to violence, dishonesty, liquor, gambling or discharged under any other offence. The applicant should be free of all apparent mental disorders and possess good moral character. His or her fingerprints should be on file.
The Selection Process
The method of becoming a police officer can be lengthy and can take more than six months. It goes much beyond filling out an application and giving interviews. The candidates need to show that they are fit physically and mentally and can prove to be useful in this profession. Although the selection process may differ from one police agency to the next, but there are some standardized steps followed in the recruitment. The hiring process and training can last for 18 months all together. One is a probationary officer after the graduation, and he will have limited responsibilities, His or her activities will be supervised constantly. The length of probation will again vary by agency. The salary and promotion of a police officer will depend on several the agency they work for, the location, performance, and experience acquired.
Once a candidate meets the basic standard requirements, he has to take a written examination that will measure his comprehension, vocabulary skills, analytical and problem-solving skills. The content of written exams will again vary from one agency to another and is sometimes customized to meet the skills required for working in their communities. Applicants will also take a physical agility test to conclude if they are fit to meet the physical demands of police work. The fitness exams require the applicants to run a specified distance, do push-ups and sit-ups, cross obstacle courses, etc. The physical tests measure the cardiovascular endurance levels of the candidates and physical agility. Research shows that a considerable number of female applicants often get disqualified in this physical agility tests. However, these tests are essential to assess if the candidate is fit to meet the physical demands of police work.
Once the written and physical tests are over, the applicants are graded and called for an oral interview. The interview panel may be composed of civil service representatives, police executives, representatives and human resource personnel. Again, the composition of the group and the format of the interview questions will vary from state to state. The questions may be general, relate to hypothetical situations or related to the criminal code in their jurisdiction. Next phase is the medical and psychological tests that come at the end of the screening process. The medical examinations test the physical condition of the applicant and include vision testing, audiograms, electrocardiograms, pulmonary function testing, chest x-ray, etc. In some organizations, drug testing has become an essential part of the medical examination. Psychological screening varies across police agencies and career the candidate for any psychological issues and emotional instability.
Background investigation and Record Check involves telephonic interviews with neighbors, discussion with former employers and getting personal references. The driving, criminal, and credit records of the applicants are checked before hiring him or her.
The Training
Police officers, once recruited, undergo three stages of training that comprise of police academy training, field training, and in-service training. Each phase of training is critical as it instills the information and skills that are necessary to be effective.
The first phase - Police Academy Training is an important part of the training. The purpose is to make the police cadets aware of their duties and the right way to conduct police work. The average police academy program that teaches the basic training skills can last for 19 weeks. The training includes a classroom and field training component. The topics under Police Academy Training may again differ from state to state, but there are several common topics that are covered primarily. These include criminal law, constitutional law, cultural diversity, community policing, report writing, conflict management, ethics, etc. Most recruits are educated about civil liability issues during the training and are made aware that they can be taken to court for false prosecution, assault and excessive force. Ethics (Marion, 1998) are in most police academies and are an important part of the knowledge base, and the ethics training provides the students the opportunity to define their ethical beliefs and moral values. There are specialty topics like juveniles, terrorism, and handling hazardous materials included under the training. Firearm skills, self-defense skills, health and fitness training, patrol, basic first aid skills, emergency vehicle operations are part of the Police Academy Training.
The field training officer Programs or FTO program (Caro, 2011) requires newly sworn police officers to apply their newly acquire knowledge and skills in real-life situations on the streets. The program helps to segregate as to which of those freshly trained police officers can function more effectively. There are several stages in the program that include an introductory stage, training and evaluation, and the final assessment phase. The idea is to motivate the police officers to work independently as they are being critiqued by field training supervisors. FTO programs have been under continuous revisions and have been designed around the concept of problem-based learning.
In-service training is another important part of the drill that take place over the course of police officers’ careers. Every year, police agencies require their personnel to partake in some in-service training. The nature of training and the number of hours required will again differ from one agency to the other. Recent statistics reveals that American police agencies necessitate 35.69 hours every year. The in-service training covers different areas and tactics involved in specialized training such as defensive, firearms, etc. However, the police officers may also choose from some elective topics like computers, problem-solving skills, use of nonlethal weapons, crime scene investigation skills, domestic violence, interrogation skills, etc. Based on their needs and requirements. These trainings play an important role in refining the policing skills in the officers.
Conclusion
The current selection procedures utilized by the law enforcement agencies and various selection methods employed by the department are based on cognitive, physical ability assessments. The education history, interviews and background investigations are part of these measures to screen applicants. Performance measures are used to evaluate performance of law enforcement personnel, thus following a scientific approach. The academy scores and field training, along with yearly supervisor ratings evaluates the effectiveness of the police officer. Administrators from agencies and locale in the past decade are concerned about Police-officer recruitment and often complain about lack of qualified applicants. US is busy in nation-building and peacekeeping missions and military call-ups restrict the number of officers available for the policing departments. It is becoming more difficult to meet minimum qualifications such as qualifications as a clean criminal record. Agencies have launched a number of incentives (Wilson, 2012) to attract officers such as mortgage discount programs, bonuses and health-club memberships. Police academies are often been criticized for not incorporating the latest and efficient training that relates more to the current community policing problems. There is a need to adopt community policing and problem-oriented policing. Special efforts need to be made for the women in the police profession. There are many agencies that motivate their officers to undertake law enforcement-related college courses throughout their careers. For example, a degree in criminal justice can help provide one to meet the educational requirements, as well as, progress in their career. Along with the basic training and education, it is necessary to provide learning in racial and ethnic diversity in the educating process. The police officers need to understand human rights and implement them in their professional practice.
Reference
John Middleton-Hope. (2003). New approaches to ensuring the legitimacy of police conduct: Misconduct among previously experienced officers: Issues in the recruitment and hiring of "gypsy cops". Saint Louis University Public Law Review, 22, 173-593.
Police personnel management. (1981). Journal of Criminal Justice, 9(4), 340-340. doi:10.1016/0047-2352(81)90015-5
Caro, C. A. (2011). Predicting state police officer performance in the field training officer program: What can we learn from the Cadet’s performance in the training academy? American Journal of Criminal Justice, 36(4), 357-370.
Jeremy M. Wilson. (2012). Articulating the dynamic police staffing challenge. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 35(2), 327-355. doi:10.1108/13639511211230084
Nancy Marion. (1998). Police academy training: Are we teaching recruits what they need to know? Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 21(1), 54-79. doi:10.1108/13639519810206600
