#7752
by Matt Cavanaugh » Mon Oct 14, 2019 11:19 am
Pitchguest wrote: ↑
Again, to reiterate, my presumption that police training in the US might be inadequate is perhaps somewhat corroborated by this story (and the bodycam video showing the shooting). That guy never should have passed at the academy.
All that video corroborates is that one of Fort Worth's 1,700 police did not follow official procedure or heed his training, in particular, not announcing himself as the police. So, was he stupid? A hot-head?
Fort Worth requires 8 months at its academy, plus 16 weeks as a trainee, as well as:
Required Examinations
Civil Service Exam
Physical Ability Test
Personal History Booklet (PHB)
After successfully passing the written examination, the PHB requiring detailed information regarding educational background, employment history, military service, references and arrest record (including traffic violations) must be completed by required deadline. Original documents such as birth certificates, social security card, high school and college diplomas and transcripts, driver’s license, marriage certificate, divorce decree, and military discharge papers will also be required after you enter the background phase.
Polygraph
Applicants will be required to take a polygraph test examination during the background investigation.
Background Investigation
The Police Department will conduct a thorough background investigation to verify information given by the applicant in the Personal History Booklet. After successful completion of the background investigation applicants will be given a Conditional Offer of Employment letter which will be based on passing the psychological and medical evaluations.
Physological Evaluation
Applicants will be administered a battery of psychological tests. A licensed psychologist will evaluate the applicant’s responses to determine suitability for police work. Final appointment will be contingent upon the results of the psychological evaluation.
Medical Examination
http://fortworthtexas.gov/hr/PoliceRecruitment/
Fort Worth PD is currently
overstaffed, so it's not like they're desperate to hire just anybody.
The psych eval (the MMPI being the most common one used), if conducted with care, should weed out 'hot-heads'.
The written exam should weed out stupid applicants. However, to pass, one only needs to achieve a score of 61 out of 100 (also known as a 'D' in US schools). One may also add up to five points for things like serving in the military or living within the county.
http://fortworthtexas.gov/hr/policerecr ... igibility/
Why so low? Because it's an aptitude test. And aptitude tests are essentially veiled Intelligence tests. And intelligence tests yield widely disparate results by race. And any employment test that yields disparate results by race is illegal (cf.
Griggs v. Duke Power, 1971) To avoid running afoul of
Griggs, employers just lower the bar.
I think increased training for LEO would be grand. But it won't do a thing if acceptance standards are the equivalent of a 'D' grade.
[quote=Pitchguest post_id=492926 time= user_id=338]
Again, to reiterate, my presumption that police training in the US might be inadequate is perhaps somewhat corroborated by this story (and the bodycam video showing the shooting). That guy never should have passed at the academy.
[/quote]
All that video corroborates is that one of Fort Worth's 1,700 police did not follow official procedure or heed his training, in particular, not announcing himself as the police. So, was he stupid? A hot-head?
Fort Worth requires 8 months at its academy, plus 16 weeks as a trainee, as well as:
[quote]Required Examinations
Civil Service Exam
Physical Ability Test
Personal History Booklet (PHB)
After successfully passing the written examination, the PHB requiring detailed information regarding educational background, employment history, military service, references and arrest record (including traffic violations) must be completed by required deadline. Original documents such as birth certificates, social security card, high school and college diplomas and transcripts, driver’s license, marriage certificate, divorce decree, and military discharge papers will also be required after you enter the background phase.
Polygraph
Applicants will be required to take a polygraph test examination during the background investigation.
Background Investigation
The Police Department will conduct a thorough background investigation to verify information given by the applicant in the Personal History Booklet. After successful completion of the background investigation applicants will be given a Conditional Offer of Employment letter which will be based on passing the psychological and medical evaluations.
Physological Evaluation
Applicants will be administered a battery of psychological tests. A licensed psychologist will evaluate the applicant’s responses to determine suitability for police work. Final appointment will be contingent upon the results of the psychological evaluation.
Medical Examination[/quote]
http://fortworthtexas.gov/hr/PoliceRecruitment/
Fort Worth PD is currently [url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Fort-Worth-Police-Department-Is-Overstaffed-455046893.html]overstaffed[/url], so it's not like they're desperate to hire just anybody.
The psych eval (the MMPI being the most common one used), if conducted with care, should weed out 'hot-heads'.
The written exam should weed out stupid applicants. However, to pass, one only needs to achieve a score of 61 out of 100 (also known as a 'D' in US schools). One may also add up to five points for things like serving in the military or living within the county.
http://fortworthtexas.gov/hr/policerecruitment/eligibility/
Why so low? Because it's an aptitude test. And aptitude tests are essentially veiled Intelligence tests. And intelligence tests yield widely disparate results by race. And any employment test that yields disparate results by race is illegal (cf. [url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/401/424]Griggs v. Duke Power, 1971[/url]) To avoid running afoul of [i]Griggs[/i], employers just lower the bar.
I think increased training for LEO would be grand. But it won't do a thing if acceptance standards are the equivalent of a 'D' grade.