Police Selection, Essay Example

Selecting only those police officers that only possess a college degree is not necessarily the best approach to the selection process. It is important to develop a selection strategy that is conducive to selecting the most qualified individuals for the available positions, including minorities and other ethnic groups (O’Brien, 2003). Education should not be the sole selection factor in making decisions regarding employment, as this could be a discriminating factor, particularly for those without the funding that is required to attend college. Therefore, other factors, such as key personality traits must also be considered as possible selection criteria (Hogan et.al, 2007). In addition, employers looking to hire police officers must also examine psychological factors that are instrumental in selecting well-qualified officers for these positions (Cochrane et.al, 2003). Also, the ability of applicants to pass various cognitive examinations is also a key factor in selecting individuals that are appropriate for police work (Outtz, 2002). Each of these characteristics are critical in order to determine if individuals are qualified for positions in the police force. Therefore, although education might be a key component of this process, it should not be the ultimate deciding factor, because this could potentially be grounds for discrimination. In this manner, it is important to address other key factors that are instrumental in supporting the selection of qualified candidates for these positions. With these factors in mind, it is possible that candidates will be selected in a fair and equitable manner, based upon a variety of factors, rather than one specific set of criteria. This strategy will be useful in supporting the necessary selection of candidates that will be successful in their new positions.

References

Cochrane, R.E., Tett, R.P., and Vandecreek, L. (2003). Psychological testing and the selection of police officers: a national survey. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 30(5): 511-537.

Hogan, J., Barrett, P., and Hogan, R. (2007). Personality measurement, faking, and employment selection. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(5): 1270-1285.

O’Brien, K.M. (2003). The determinants of minority employment in police and fire departments. The Journal of Socioeconomics, 32(2): 183-195.

Outtz, J.L. (2002). The role of cognitive ability tests in employment selection. Human Performance, 15(1-2): 161-171.