Officer Selection and Training

Many children look at police officers as if they were superheroes. The magic of the badge making everything okay. It is not long after the first good encounter with a police officer that many of them dream of one day having their own badge. The childhood dream can quickly become a bit overwhelming when the facts of how that badge is secured is brought to light. A police officer does not simply drop off an application, have an interview with the boss, and secure the job. There are many more steps in the process of obtaining this position, and sometimes the future officer did not take the first one him or herself.

Just like with many other occupations, police agencies use many different methods of recruiting. Finding acceptable recruits is extremely important. Not everyone can pass all of the tests that recruits are required to. In the hopes of finding these acceptable recruits, police officers will often visit with the students in the area. Not only do they recruit in the upper education locations, but at local high schools as well. Some of the recruitment for police agencies is done the same as any other profession. Having uniformed officers visiting schools can be expensive, this is where local media also plays a part. Police agencies will use newspapers, television, and even the internet to let everyone know they are accepting new recruits. “All of these recruitment efforts are important, as they have a direct impact on the quality of police officers that are ultimately hired.” (Sagepub, 2013) Simply being recruited does not ensure a place on the police force. A recruit must meet certain requirements before he or she can be acknowledged for hiring. Each state as well as each individual agency has some say in what requirements they have for recruits. There a few conditions that must be met before the recruit can proceed. Some of these things include having legal residency in the United States, and with that a valid driver’s license. Age and education are...