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Validation of Police Officer Recruit Candidates' Self-Reported Drug Use

NCJ Number
104681
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: (March 1987) Pages: 496-502
Author(s)
E Ostrov; J L Cavanaugh
Date Published
1987
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Three hundred and fifty-nine Chicago Police Department recruit candidates submitted urine specimens as part of a drug-screening program.
Abstract
Candidates were tested in two groups about a week apart. About 20 percent of the recruit candidates in each group evidenced drug, primarily marijuana, use. As part of a psychological screening test battery all the candidates took the Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI). The IPI contains a self-report Drug Use Scale. Drug-Positive and Drug-Negative candidates' Drug Use Scale scores were matched by age, sex, and racial/ethnic group and compared to evaluate the accuracy of self-reported drug use when screening police recruit candidates. Results showed that Drug-Positive candidates' self-reported drug use was consistently higher than that of Drug-Negative candidates. Item-level analyses showed which drug use items best discriminate between Drug-Positive and Drug-Negative candidates. Implications are drawn for use of self-report as part of a police candidate screening process. (Author abstract)

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