OFFICER SELECTION AND TRAINING PROCESS

Officer Selection and Training Process

Officer Selection and Training Process

Introduction

Every day we see the men and women of our police departments risking their lives to protect us from violent or criminal acts. Whether the police officers are stopping vehicles for traffic law violation, or dealing with automobile accidents, to arresting criminals for violent or criminal acts that might be occurring. The police officers of our communities all joined the force for a reason, to protect and serve its communities to the best of their abilities (Lee, 2001). This paper in connection to the police officer, will discuss the selection and training process of a police officer in United States.

Discussion and Analysis

Despite the fact, that every state of the United States has their own laws and policies for the selection of the police officer, this study will discuss the key methods that will be followed throughout United States. Every department has their different basic requirements whether it is at the local, state, or federal police departments. Every individual that applies for the position of a police officer must be at least 20 and 6 months years old at the time of the written test, also the maximum age of the individual cannot be over the age of 45 when entering the police academy, this is because of the intense physical training the police cadets go through during the academy (Miller & Braswell, 2002). Being over the age of 45 can risk serious injuries. Next, of course like every other job a person had to apply for the police department and a person should be a United States citizen and must have at least high school diploma or G.E.D. There are eight steps the applicant must go through and pass before getting appointed to the police academy. The eight step process is as follows (Miller & Braswell, 2002):

Written Exam

Physical Fitness Test

Background Investigation

Assessment Board Interview

Medical Physical Examination

Polygraph Examination

Psychological Examination

Final Review

The first step is the written test, where the individual must pass with a score of at least a 70 to be considered to move on to the next step in the hiring process the physical test or PT. The written test however covers 100 multiple choice questions. That test individuals in reading and writing skills, while also testing the individual's visualization and memorization skills. The next step is the physical fitness; the test is designed to make sure that ...