Assessment of Police Officer Recruiting and Testing Instruments

Unlike other professional fields, a vast majority of police departments have employed a variety of psychometric and behavioral measures to select highly qualified officers. Considering the unique nature of police work, police recruits are expected to be mentally stable, socially adaptable, and intellectually competent to perform a wide range of police tasks. However, the job-relatedness becomes a legal mandate to sustain the legality of police recruitment-related measures or requirements. This study examines the effects of testing results (e.g., the written test) and socio-demographic factors (e.g., race) on 420 candidates who participated in the police selection process at the Asheville Police Department, North Carolina, during the period of 1990-96. Results show that the decision-making process of police officer selection is primarily testing-oriented. In other words, police candidates who fail to achieve a satisfactory rating on any of the recruitment-related tests are less likely to be recruited by the department. Furthermore, this study's results show that candidates' socio-demographic factors such as race show no effect on the recruitment decision. Racial disparity in psychometric assessment on a variety of recruitment-related measures was not statistically significant.