NCJ Number
108534
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1987) Pages: 210-215
Date Published
1987
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Psychological screening techniques may be used as a means of selecting police candidates who possess certain traits believed to be associated with effective performance in law enforcement or to screen out those individuals with significant signs of psychopathology, emotional instability, or lack of basic abilities or mental acuity.
Abstract
In general, attempts to select in candidates have been hampered by the difficulties inherent in predicting future behavior. Conversely, psychological assessment, used in combination with oral interview and polygraph testing, can be of value in screening out unsuitable candidates. Areas of screening include intellectual and cognitive functioning, personality evaluation, and psychological interview and observation. Police psychological screening is valuable from legal, financial, and social perspectives. Such screening provides a defense against negligence in hiring and retention, can reduce attrition, and provides a way to protect the public from unfit officers. 24 references.