Police in AmericaPolice in America

Chapter TwelveChapter Twelve

Police officers: Entering Police Police officers: Entering Police WorkWork

Recruitment Recruitment

Minimum qualificationsMinimum qualifications• Most 21 years of ageMost 21 years of age

Height and WeightHeight and Weight• ProportionalProportional

EducationEducation• Vast majority-high school diplomaVast majority-high school diploma• 25% require some college25% require some college

Criminal recordCriminal record• No felonyNo felony• Misdemeanor?Misdemeanor?

ResidencyResidency• About ¼ of departments require living within the city limitsAbout ¼ of departments require living within the city limits

Choosing law enforcement as a Choosing law enforcement as a careercareer

MotivationsMotivations• Help peopleHelp people• Job securityJob security• Fight crime Fight crime • Excitement of the jobExcitement of the job• Prestige of the jobPrestige of the job

SelectionSelection• Personal interviewPersonal interview• Criminal record checkCriminal record check• Background investigationBackground investigation• Driving record checkDriving record check• Medical exam Medical exam • Psychological screenPsychological screen• Drug TestDrug Test• Written aptitude testWritten aptitude test• Physical agility testPhysical agility test• Polygraph examPolygraph exam• Voice stress analyzerVoice stress analyzer

Equal opportunityEqual opportunity

Title VII of the Civil Title VII of the Civil Rights ActRights Act• Race, color, religion, sex, Race, color, religion, sex,

or national originor national origin• Protected classProtected class

Job related Job related qualificationsqualifications• B.F.O.Q.B.F.O.Q.

– DriveDrive

– A.D.A.A.D.A.

Equal opportunityEqual opportunity

Employment of Racial Employment of Racial and Ethnic Minoritiesand Ethnic Minorities• Reflect the composition Reflect the composition

of the community it of the community it servesserves

Hispanic and Latino Hispanic and Latino officersofficers• Fastest growing Fastest growing

populationpopulation• Spanish speaking Spanish speaking

officers recruitedofficers recruited

WomenWomen• More seriously More seriously

underrepresented than underrepresented than racial or ethnic minoritiesracial or ethnic minorities

• Concentrated in lower Concentrated in lower ranksranks

Gay and Lesbian Gay and Lesbian officersofficers• Increasingly open over Increasingly open over

the last 20 yearsthe last 20 years

Equal opportunityEqual opportunity

Affirmative actionAffirmative action• Conduct a census of current employeesConduct a census of current employees• Identify underutilization or concentration of Identify underutilization or concentration of

minorities and womenminorities and women• Develop a recruiting plan to correct any Develop a recruiting plan to correct any

underutilizationunderutilization Opponents of affirmative actionOpponents of affirmative action• Reverse discriminationReverse discrimination

Training Training

Police AcademyPolice Academy• Big departments Big departments

have own academyhave own academy• Small departments Small departments

use state run use state run academiesacademies

Field trainingField training• FTO programFTO program• 2/3 of departments 2/3 of departments

use this processuse this process0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Average number of hours

1,000,000

500,000-999,999

250,000-499,999

100,000-249,999

50,000-99,999

25,000-49,999

10,000-24,999

2,500-9,999

under2,500

TrainingTraining

State training and certificationState training and certification• Certify and decertifyCertify and decertify• State-required content of trainingState-required content of training

Probationary periodProbationary period• 6 months to 2 years6 months to 2 years• 7% resign or quit during this time7% resign or quit during this time