Selecting and Retaining the Right Officers

Originally published in Police Chief Magazine

As police departments across the United States grapple with unprecedented shortages in staffing, the dilemma of adjusting hiring standards to attract more candidates becomes a pressing concern for police administrators. In the race to secure qualified personnel, administrators often find themselves competing with other agencies, striving to enhance their appeal to potential recruits.

In this climate, some departments have explored tactics like hiring bonuses to entice candidates. However, the allure of these incentives can sometimes attract individuals with little dedication to public service or those who may underestimate the intricate skill set required for effective public safety work.

Amid retirements and attrition, many police administrators confront the challenging decision of whether to relax hiring standards to address staffing gaps. While it might seem enticing to adopt such an approach for expanding the candidate pool, this inclination to lower standards can lead to unintended and severe consequences. Media headlines have demonstrated that just a few problematic officers can erode the trust between agencies and the communities they serve. Moreover, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), through its Trust Building Campaign, has stressed the importance of recruiting personnel capable of unbiased policing, adept community relations, and measured emotional control when employing force.

In their quest to expedite the psychological screening of candidates, some police administrators might be tempted to take shortcuts. Yet, such shortcuts may unwittingly welcome candidates who struggle to adhere to the chain of command and who can otherwise work effectively as part of a team. In contrast, a comprehensive preemployment evaluation process offers insights into pivotal aspects of success in law enforcement. Psychological assessments furnish crucial data regarding the candidate’s social acumen, adaptability, ethical orientation, and decision-making capabilities—all fundamental to effective public safety operations. In this case, a police and public safety psychologist offers another layer of evaluation, amalgamating data about the candidate’s history to offer perspectives on the person’s self-awareness, judgment, and capacity to learn from past missteps.

While preemployment psychological screening offers solid input on fitness for the role of police officer, such evaluation also plays a critical function in ensuring candidates have sufficient resiliency for handling the stressors inherent in police work. Work in public safety often requires repeated exposures to traumatic events, and it is important that agencies properly assess their candidates’ emotional stability and ability to handle the demands of such a role— a step that may well prevent the need for a fitness for duty referral in the future.

To ensure robust preemployment psychological screening, agencies are well-advised to turn to the Police Psychological Services Section of the IACP, which has developed detailed guidelines for conducting comprehensive preemployment psychological evaluations. These guidelines encompass the multifaceted dimensions that contribute to an individual’s suitability for a role in law enforcement.

In the realm of contemporary law enforcement, where challenges are multifaceted and demands are relentless, the importance of hiring qualified personnel remains paramount. The practice of preemployment psychological screening stands as a cornerstone in the pursuit of building an effective, ethical, and resilient workforce and leadership potential within police departments. By investing in a sound psychological pre-employment evaluation process, police administrators not only secure candidates better equipped to fulfill the complex demands of public safety but also lay a solid foundation for building community trust and safeguarding the integrity of law enforcement agencies.