Jackson Jordyn s5014786 Assessment 1 PDF

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Intro to policing assessment 1...

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1 Police Recruitment Process

Will the Proposed Changes Impact the Police Recruitment Process? Jordyn Jackson Griffith University

Student Number:

s5014786

Course:

1010PSY Positive Psychology

Due Date:

2nd December, 2019

Date Submitted:

1st December, 2019

Word Count:

1, 816

2 Police Recruitment Process Will the Proposed Changes Impact the Police Recruitment Process Positively? The new police commissioner of Thompson Valley Police Service, Commissioner Jason DeVillain, aims to double the number of police recruits over the next three years. In order to do this, Commissioner DeVillain has proposed two key changes, 1) Police recruit applicants will no longer require completion or partial completion of tertiary education upon entry, and 2) Psychological testing will be removed from the selection process. This report aims to discuss the likely impact that the two proposed changes will have on the police recruitment selection process. This report will begin by discussing the impact that removing tertiary education will have on the recruitment process. The first proposed change is that police recruit applicants will no longer require completion or partial completion of tertiary education upon entry. I believe that although this change will increase the number of police recruits, it will not have a positive impact on the selection process. The relationship between higher education and policing is not a new phenomenon, it can be argued that academic education with recognisable qualification will improve the police statue within the public eye as well as other professions and government (Hallenberg and Cockcroft, 2015). Rydberg & Terrill (2010) stated that studies have shown that higher education is needed for the police recruitment process, as officers who completed tertiary studies are less likely to use excessive force, less likely to fire their weapon, and they are more likely to report it to higher authority. McElvain & Kposowa (2008) also completed a study, with the results stating that officers who completed tertiary studies were 41% less likely to discharge their weapon. Telep (2011) stated that higher educated officers have a 27% greater chance of report abuse of authority, compared to other officers. All of these studies

3 Police Recruitment Process indicate that the police force needs to have candidates who have completed tertiary education, as these officers are more safe compared to other officers. In a study conducted by Chapman (2012) it was stated that higher educated patrol officers were less likely to use force, and when they needed to use excessive force, they used a lower amount compared to officers who did not complete tertiary study. Higher education can benefit the personal and professional development of officers, as well as improving their self-esteem and job motivation. Academic education is considered to be an essential characteristic of a profession, which has been deemed a necessary qualification to obtain (Hallenberg and Cockcroft, 2015). Higher education officers perform better in their first five years than officers who did not complete tertiary studies, and higher educated officers have a higher chance at receiving a promotion then other officers (McDonnell. 2008). Officers who complete higher education are more likely to get a promotion, which means that they will have access to a better pay and benefits, which would impact positively on the police officers. Higher education could enhance a police officer's chances at receiving a promotion into a higher position, and officers who have higher education hold more supervisor jobs and are promoted quicker then officers who did not complete tertiary education (Edwards, 2017). Police officers with higher education also have had a greater experience with civilians and government officials due to them attending university for 3-4 years, as well as generally having a better and more open attitude to other members in their community, compared to officers who did not complete tertiary education (Rydberg and Terrill, 2010). This makes the officers more approachable, and easier to speak to when someone is in need of help. The officers who have better people skills are those that victims would be able to talk to easier, and find comfort in.

4 Police Recruitment Process Officers who complete higher education are less likely to draw their weapon, and are less likely to use excessive force. Higher educated officers are more likely to receive a promotion, and they have the ideological needs for the police force to be seen in a positive light, due to the fact that they are less likely to cause harm (Mc McElvain & Kposowa, 2008). If all police officers had to undergo tertiary education, then the police force could potentially become more efficient and less harmful, therefore the proposed change should no go ahead. The second proposed change is that psychological testing will be removed from the selection process. I belive that this will have a negative impact on the police force, as without the testing, you are not certain what a person can handle. It is unsure whether or not an officer would be able to handle seeing dead bodies, or seeing horrible accidents. It is also a needed deterrent for the wrong people to get into the police force (Bannish and Ruiz, 2003). Psychological testing is used to reject the unfit candidates, and hire the best possible candidates (Sanders, 2008). Both researchers and police officers have admitted that the process is useful, as it rejects those who are not fit for the police force, however the process is difficult. However, a difficult process is better then having unfit or unsafe officers in the police force (Sanders, 2008). Hiring unfit candidates would not be useful, as they would eventually get fired, and the process would need to start over again. Psychologists are generally expected to conduct personality assessments in order to help the police agencies select the right candidates. They are also expected to assess whether or not an officer will be fit for duty, or if they do not meet the psychological criteria to be a police officer (Campbell, 2012). The personality tests are also able to eliminate sensation seekers, who are people who seek intense sensations and experiences, no matter what the risk is (Próchniak, 2009). Eliminating sensation seekers from the recruits will ensure that police

5 Police Recruitment Process officers are safer to themselves and others around them, and that they will not draw their weapon when it is not needed, and they would not use excessive force. Psychological testing is also able to determine where to assign an officer so they are able to serve the community in the best way that they can (Murphy 1973). This could potentially reduce the tension between the police force and the community, as officers that suit the general area in terms of their personality are being placed where they are needed. Bannish and Ruiz (2003) stated that psychological testing is needed for the police force, as psychologists are able to measure candidate’s emotional stability, as well as eliminating any candidates that they do not see fit for police work. Sanders (2008) stated that there are multiple different consequences of selection errors that could happen, which include social and economic costs, as police officers have a unique amount of power compared to normal citizens. This means that the mistakes that could happen during the hiring process, could lead to potentially unstable officers, which could be stopped with a personality test (Sanders, 2008). Murphy (1973) Psychological testing can also play a part in receiving a promotion. Personality tests would be able to determine which individual has the right set of skills to be promoted, and determines which individual has the right leader skills to lead their team to better performance, and these tests should be utilized when decided to promote officers. A study conducted by Scrivner (1994) stated that psychological testing is also able to identify police officers who are at risk for using excessive force. This study concluded that there were five different profiles of officers with excessive force that had emerged during their testing which include: 1) Officers with a personality disorder, 2) Officers with previous job-related experiences, 3) Officers who experience early career stage problems, 4) Officers who had a dominant patrol style, and 5) Officers who had personal problems. Identifying these issues

6 Police Recruitment Process from personality tests at the beginning of an officer's career would be beneficial towards the officer, as they would be able to fix these problems and be a better police officer. The removal of psychological testing could potentially be harmful for future officers. Officers could believe that they could handle seeing a dead body, but they cannot handle it, and could potentially hurt themselves over it. Officers could also be reckless and harmful towards civilian’s; however, these officers would never make it in the police force if psychological testing does not get removed. In order for the police force to remain full of stable and fit officers, they would need to keep psychological testing as a mandatory recruitment and selection process. It is recommended that both higher education and psychological testing are mandatory for the police recruitment process. Maintaining the police force is one of the greatest challenges are there are not enough recruitments, however removing these factors could be potentially harmful to many (Wilson, Dalon, Scheer & Grammich, 2010). The changes that have been proposed would negatively affect the police force. Although the changes would increase the likelihood that there would be more recruits and the numbers would increase, however it would not be an effective process as eventually the recruits will not work out, and they would have been a waste of training resources as well as money. Officers who did not complete tertiary study are less likely to report police brutality and abuse of authority, and they are more likely to raise their weapon when it is not needed, and harm a civilian, compared to higher educated officers. Officers who completed tertiary studies are less likely to use force, and when needed to use excessive force, use less then officers who did not complete tertiary study. Psychological testing also indicates that there are five personality profiles within officers who use excessive force on duty. Understanding

7 Police Recruitment Process these profiles and starting programs to diminish them, would be beneficial towards the police force, and would slowly start to eliminate excessive force all together. Both higher education qualifications and psychological testing be useful towards getting a promotion. Higher educated officers have a higher chance at receiving a promotion then other officers, meaning that they will have access to better pay and benefits, which would positively impact the officer's life satisfaction. Officers who complete tertiary studies hold more supervisor jobs and are promoted quicker then officers who have not completed tertiary study. Psychological testing is able to determine which officers would have the best leadership qualities, and these officers would be better equipped to be the leaders of the police force, as they would be able to lead their officers to better group performance. Overall, the removal of both tertiary education and psychological testing for the police force is shown to have negative impacts on both the police officers and civilians. The changes that have been proposed will only cause a negative impact towards police and the police force, and although there would be an increase of recruits, I believe that it is not worth the potential danger that could arise.

References

8 Police Recruitment Process Bannish, H., & Ruiz, J. (2003). The Antisocial Police Personality: A View from the Inside. International Journal of Public Administration, 26(7), 831-881. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1081/pad-120019322 Campbell, C. (2012). Personality Assessment in Police Psychology: A 21st Century Perspective20121Edited by Peter A. Weiss, PhD. Personality Assessment in Police Psychology: A 21st Century Perspective. Charles A. Thomas Publishers, 2010. 402 pp. Policing, 35(1), 204-206. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13639511211215531 Hallenberg, K., & Cockcroft, T. (2015). Police and Higher Education. Research Report. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4453.2964 Chapman, C. (2012). Use of force in minority communities is related to police education, age, experience, and ethnicity. Police Practice and Research, 13(5), 421-436. doi: 10.1080/15614263.2011.596711 Edwards, B. D. (2017). Perceived Value of Higher Education Among Police Officers. Retrieved from https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4729&context=etd McDonnell, P. (2008). Higher Education and the Performance of Police Officers. (Ph.D.). Northern Arizona University. McElvain, J., & Kposowa, A. (2008). Police Officer Characteristics and the Likelihood of Using Deadly Force. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(4), 505-521. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854807313995 Murphy, J. J. (1973). Current Practices in the Use of Psychological Testing by Police Agencies. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. 63(4), 570-576.

9 Police Recruitment Process Próchniak, P. (2009). Polish Police Officers: Personality and Risk Taking. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 24(2), 104-107. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11896-009-9049-8 Rydberg, J., & Terrill, W. (2010). The Effect of Higher Education on Police Behavior. Police Quarterly, 13(1), 92-120. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098611109357325 Sanders, B. (2008). Using personality traits to predict police officer performance. Policing, 31(1), 129-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13639510810852611 Scrivner, E. M. (1994). The Role of Police Psychology in Controlling Excessive Force. National Institute of Justice, 1-30. Telep, C. (2011). The Impact of Higher Education on Police Officer Attitudes Toward Abuse of Authority. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 22(3), 392-419. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10511253.2010.519893 Wilson, J. M., Dalon, E., Scheer, C., & Grammich, C. A. (2010). Improving Police Recruitment and Retention. RAND Research Brief, 1-2. doi: 10.7249/RB9546...