NCJ Number
80612
Date Published
Unknown
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A variety of legal issues, such as ensuring the equal opportunity and civil rights of candidates, are raised in relation to recruitment policy planning by West German police agencies.
Abstract
Legal considerations to be made upon embarking on an active police recruitment campaign include matters of police officer involvement in recruiting activities, information sources and data security, copyrighted advertising materials, use of personal information entered on applications, applicants' claims to employment, and equality of access to various level of training programs. The first two categories of concern present no particular obstacle. Recruitment activities do not conflict with public service employee regulations or government employment services. Data consisting of name, address, sex, and date of birth are considered 'free' -- exempt from the data security law and easily obtainable from local registers, employment and educational institutions, and private organizations. An agency's use of material copyrighted to its author must be ensured by contract. Since the law does not require disclosure of a juvenile delinquency record on job applications, candidates volunteering such information should not be immediately disqualified. Level of educational background is a legitimate selection criterion for differentiated assignment of candidates to police training programs.