Officer Selection & Training Process Paper

Officer Selection and Training Process

Denise J. Smith

Fundamentals of Policing CJS/210

November 13, 2011

Lisa B. Uva, J.D., M.A.

Officer Selection and Training Process

Officer Selection and Training Process is a stringently organized way of selecting the best applicants that would drive themselves to excel throughout the process of becoming a police officer. Then once initially achieved, that these candidates continue to keep themselves growing throughout their careers as officers of the law.

Application Process

When the candidate is filling out the initial application, they need to complete it fully and honestly without leaving any questions unanswered. This is the police and they have the tools to check anything and everything you write down, so nothing can be hidden. The candidates have to disclose anything relevant in reference to their past, marital status, dependents, criminal past, physical or mental characteristic etc.

Selecting Officers from the Recruit Pool

Once there is a pool of applicants selected, they are put through a series of testing stages;

Police Written Exam-which consists of reading comprehension, basic mathematics, vocabulary, report writing, directional orientation, spelling, grammar and communication skills.

Medical and Fitness Assessment- which consists of present or past physical or mental illnesses that the candidate may have or had such as HIV, drug abuse etc., family history of genetically-prone ailments such as Heart Disease, Bipolar, Crohn’s Disease, etc. The fitness assessment will be strict based on measuring strengths and endurance, aerobic capacity and anaerobic power along with the possible recording of the candidate’s body mass.

Selecting Officers from the Recruit Pool (Continued)

Background Checks- consists of any past or present warrants for arrests, references, military records, protection orders taken out by or on the...