NCJ Number
139464
Date Published
1991
Length
54 pages
Annotation
This report presents State-by-State and city-by-city information on police personnel selection and training programs and is based on a 1990 survey.
Abstract
The survey was mailed to all U.S. cities with populations of 10,000 and above. Of the 2,769 cities that were surveyed, 46.1 percent responded. Regarding police personnel selection criteria, only 9.5 percent of the respondents have a nonsmoking criterion for recruits, and 2.2 percent apply this rule in the selection of basic training graduates. Almost 75 percent of the respondents use a physical performance test in recruit selection, and approximately 71 percent of the respondents screen for substance abuse in recruits; approximately 20 percent screen for substance abuse when selecting basic training graduates. Of the cities that report using written exams in the selection of recruits and graduates, 90.5 percent have the exams tested for validity. Of the 1,118 cities that responded to the questions about residency requirements, only 29 percent indicate a residency policy. Approximately 43 percent of the responding police departments allow lateral entry. Assessment centers are used by approximately 40 percent of the respondents to test candidates for positions at ranks above entry-level patrol officer. Overall, 38.7 percent of recruits do not graduate from basic training. Data presented on training programs for each responding city encompass stress management, conflict training, supervisory training, and mental health training.