Assignment:
Selecting Prospective Police Officers
Various characteristics are associated with fair-minded, effective, and successful police officers. Many police departments make sure that they carefully screen potential police officers on the basis of qualities like personality traits and achievements. These serve as potential predictors for selecting future police officers with integrity and ability. The goal, of course, is to learn up front whether individuals will actually transform into effective and ethical officers before investing time and money into training police officers.
Write in a minimum of 250 words and answer the following:
- Describe what you consider are the most important selection criteria for potential police officers.
- How important are the quality and quantity of college education for individuals aspiring to become responsible police officers?
- What according to you are some personality characteristics that are important for becoming responsible police officers? Describe these characteristics.
- How would you ensure diversity among the ranks—including racial minorities, women, and people from different sections of society? Or how much weight should be given to factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, and gender of candidates during selections?
- If you were the hiring official, would you exclude applicants who fall short of your perceptions of an "ideal cop" but who fit the criteria for the job? Why or why not?