Officer Process

Officer Selection process paper

Local law enforcement officers hold the most important responsibility of working the "front lines" of crimes in communities all over the country. Some departments have the advantage because they deal with a smaller population, but there are cities with millions of people. Considering the vast sizes of population in different cities, it's important to acknowledge that the task of a police officer should be designated to the best candidates. Furthermore, the training and education provided should be optimal so that officers are well equipped to secure public safety (Walker and Katz, 2008).

Law enforcement agencies are structured based on their geographic locations; and can potentially be divided into districts if the terrain is large enough. Uniformed law enforcement officials usually patrol inside a designated area. Having officers constantly patrol the same areas allows them to familiarize themselves with the location. The familiarity allows police officers to quickly notice any irregularities among the community. Larger jurisdictions call for police officers to patrol the area in pairs. The reality is that officer constantly face criminals as they pursue or arrest them, enforce traffic laws, and resolving other problems throughout the community (Walker and Katz, 2008).

The New York Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department are the most popular departments in the country but they have significant differences. Law enforcement at a local level is very important to the community as they face crime on a daily basis. The stats show that Local police employed 61% of all the sworn officers and represent 71% of American policing agencies in 2000. However, the two departments mentioned earlier further express the importance of Municipal law enforcement. Local Law enforcement is limited in terms of jurisdiction but their authority is very extensive. Local Enforcement agencies have the authority to exercise federal and state laws. There is a particular Federal law that must be obliged by the local police according to the law. For example, in the state of Arizona, local and state law enforcement have the obligation to enforce federal immigration law. Aside from that, local law enforcement has the option to exercise federal laws but it's not required.

Local Law enforcement officers must meet particular criteria's including age, height, weight, education, criminal background, and residency requirements. Once an officer meets the criteria to apply they are then placed in a pool with other applicants. Selected groups of the most qualified are selected from the pool and are then subject to extensive testing. The testing varies slightly based on the department but it's usually a combination of several tests. The recruits are then official police officers assuming they pass the tests. The test which most recruits part take in includes: personal interviews, criminal record checks, background investigations, driving record checks, medical exams, psychological evaluations, drug tests, written aptitude tests, physical agility tests, polygraph exams, and voice stress analyzers. Ideally, the best results on these tests lead to better outcomes when the hiring process begins (Walker and Katz, 2008).

The Raleigh Police Department in particular exercises the hiring process in several phases. The first step in order to apply for the Raleigh Police Department is to present and application along with civil conduct information and a driving record. The recruiters then analyze the applications and select the most qualified for interviews and further testing. Once the appointments are made with the applicants, they are then subject to reading comprehension and physical abilities testing. The applicants who pass these tests with sufficient scores must then take part in pre-employment tests. The pre-employment test includes Initial interview, polygraph exam, written aptitude test, and finally a background investigation. Throughout the testing process for the applicants, the recruiters have the responsibility to call references and speak with current and former employers.

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