PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND THE SELECTION OF POLICE OFFICERS A National Survey

27 Personnel selection practices have become more widely used over the years, particularly with law enforcement candidates. This increased use has included more sophisticated methods of evaluating potential police officers. One reason for greater emphasis on selection procedures is the negative impact of having unqualified employees. Financial costs are one way police agencies are affected. For example, the Los Angeles Police Department spends approximately $100,000 to train each new police officer. Furthermore, it was estimated that the average new police recruit was required to undergo nearly 1,000 hours of training (U.S. Department of Justice, 1996). Obviously, if hires later prove unable to perform their duties, substantial resources have been wasted. Although several factors influence the potential success or failure of police recruits, agencies are largely concerned about the emotional or psychological adequacy of recruits. Hibler and Kurke (1995) defined this as “psychological suitability,” or the