The challenge is to select the best and brightest individuals to fill police department positions. The New York Police Department, for example, chooses its police recruits from a talent pool of 10,000 qualified applicants, and the recruitment process has been made easier by experience, testing, and training. Every police department has a core set of standards that applicants have to meet or exceed to even be considered. Unlike most other law enforcement agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation goes beyond standard requirements and tailors each recruiting effort to current and projected needs. Most police departments use similar recruiting activities, such as advertisements in newspapers, colleges, billboards, television, and radio. Recruiters often attend job and career fairs, and some recruitment efforts are done in cyberspace with home pages on the Internet where prospective recruits can find out more about the police department, get information on standards and testing requirements, and determine when applications will be taken. Law enforcement agencies are seeking a balance of young and older applicants. All applicants undergo background checks and a battery of physical and psychological tests to make sure they can handle the stress of police work. The important role of police recruit training in developing effective police officers is discussed. 3 photographs