How To Get A Police Degree

Transcription

1 Police in America Chapter Five Police Officers I: Entering Police Work 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2 The Changing American Police Officer 40 years ago Most officers were white, male and possessed only a high school education Today More female, African American, Hispanic and Asian officers Many college educated or hold masters degrees Openly gay and lesbian officers 2

3 Aspects of the Personnel Process Career: a working-life commitment to a field or profession -- not the same as a job Career perspective requires departments to retain the best officers long term Many departments have personnel problems because they: 1. Don t train recruits properly 2. Don t supervise officer adequately 3. Poor evaluation systems 4. Failure to discipline 5. Failure to provide career opportunities 6. Don t promote the best officers 3

4 Beyond Stereotypes of Cops Stereotypes can be either positive or negative Positive: Heroic saints, risking their lives, saviors, tough, strong Negative: Uneducated, untrained, prejudiced, brutal or corrupt However Special nature of police force does encourage certain attitudes and behaviors Distinct subculture does exist Inaccurate stereotypes can discourage many people from becoming police officers, esp women 4

5 The Personnel Process: A Shared Responsibility Shared with other governmental agencies (civil service system) Attracting a pool of applicants: Minimum qualifications The recruitment effort Applicant s motivations to apply 5

6 Recruitment Minimum Qualifications Most departments - 21 years of age Height and Weight proportional Education 63% high school diploma 37.1% require some college 4.8% require four-year degree Educational incentive pay Criminal record 95% reject adult felony; 75% reject juvenile felony Highly variable misdemeanor rejection Drug offenses major problem Residency About 25% of departments require living within the city limits Very controversial and difficult to enforce, esp after hiring 6

7 Benefits of education College Degree Helps shape the values of students and helps them understand the complex role of police in a democratic society Improves on-the-street performance by giving officers the capacity to make better judgments College grads have exhibited desire for self improvement which will make them more professional police officers Improves skills required by policing (reading, writing, public speaking, communicating effectively) Exposes students to diversity and social interaction Improves planning, time management, problem- solving and critical thinking skills 7

8 Arguments against College Degree Reduces applicant pool Has disparate impact on racial minorities who may not have access to higher education No empirical evidence that links college education to better officer performance in academy Exception: reading and writing levels Military may be better preparation College graduates have more frustration with police organization, are more likely to become dissatisfied 8

9 Choosing Law Enforcement as a Career Applicant motivations - Help people - Fight crime - Prestige Barriers to recruitment - Job security - Excitement - Negative image of officers - Traditionally male occupations 9

10 Selecting Officers from the Recruit Selection tests Oral interviews Pool Written and medical exams Background Investigations - PHQ - Previous employment, possible criminal record, educational background, financial status, relationships, drug use, etc. - Interviews with neighbors, home visit - Polygraph 10

11 Screening Methods Used by Local Police Depts. (2003) Method % Dept Using Personal interview 98 Criminal record check 99 Background investigation 98 Driving record check 96 Medical exam 85 Psychological screen 67 Drug test 73 Written aptitude test 43 Physical agility test 50 Polygraph exam 25 11

12 Predicting Police Officer Performance One study (NYPD) found that background characteristics did not predict performance Recruit training score was the only predictor Screening Methods (MMPI) also do not accurately predict police officer performance Gross social misfits can be identified and excluded 12

13 What Qualities Make a Good Social Competence Police Officer? The ability to read people and be aware of the impact of one s own words and behavior on others Adaptability / Flexibility The ability to change gears easily and adjust to sudden changes and demands Impulse Control / Attention to Safety The ability to think before you act Integrity / Ethics High standards of personal conduct Emotional Regulation / Stress Tolerance The ability to maintain composure and stay in control Decision Making and Judgment Common sense, street smarts and the ability to assess situations quickly and accurately 13

14 Equal Employment Opportunity Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act Prohibits discrimination in hiring Race, color, religion, sex, or national origin 1972 Equal Employment Opportunity Act extended federal law to states Sexual orientation protected (in some states) 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications (BFOQ) 14

15 Not Your Father s Police Department : Diversity in Policing Employment of Racial and Ethnic Minorities Reflect the composition of the community it serves Hispanic and Latino officers Fastest growing population Spanish-speaking speaking officers recruited African American Officers Women More seriously underrepresented than racial or ethnic minorities Concentrated in lower ranks Gay and Lesbian officers Previously underrepresented in the police force Increasingly open over the last 20 years Employment discrimination litigation has helped to increase number of African American officers in the police force 15

16 Achieving Diversity in Police Employment U.S. Supreme Court held that diversity is a compelling state of interest Diversity in employment has three basic goals Ensure employer is not discriminating Improve police service Improve image of police department Employment Discrimination Suits (Title VII) Direct financial benefit to plaintiffs Elimination of discriminatory hiring procedures Court ordered affirmative action 16

17 Affirmative Action & Quotas Affirmative action: employer must make positive steps to remedy past discrimination Conduct current census of employees Identify underutilization or concentration of women and minorities Develop a recruiting plan to address underutilization and concentration The question of quotas Reverse discrimination? Lower personnel standards? 17

18 Are Quotas Fair or Unfair? 40% of new recruits must be female Hiring 50 officers 20 must be female 20th top scoring female has a score of 82; 31st top scoring male has a score of 83 The woman is hired to fulfill the quota Is this fair to the male who scored higher? Is it fair to the female, whose group has historically been discriminated against in employment? How significant is the difference between 83 & 82? Do these numbers predict who will be better police officer? 18

19 The Police Academy Provides formal, pre-service training Includes Field Training Provides process for weeding out unqualified recruits Rite of passage that socializes recruits into subculture State training and certification 19

20 Training Police Academy Big departments have own academy Small departments use state-run academies Field training FTO program 2/3 of departments use this process Average number of hours 1,400 1,200 1, ,000, , , , , , ,999 50,000-99,999 25,000-49,999 10,000-24,999 2,500-9,999 under 2,500 20

21 State Training and Certification Every state has some form of mandated pre-service training for certification State-required content of training Tracking of officers who have been fired is difficult if the officer moves to a different state Solution: state certification and decertification Shortcomings of current police training: Many don t cover important subjects like discretion and ethics Preservice training does not adequately address the main duties of policing (dealing with social issues and domestic disputes, citizens with mental problems, diverse citizenry, cultural sensitivity, race relations) Classroom training alone is not adequate 21

22 The Probationary Period Can range to six months to two years after being sworn in as an officer Officer can be dismissed without cause during this period (unsatisfactory performance) Rules for this process determined by local civil service regulations Average of 7 percent (nationally) of all recruits dismissed during this period 22