Selection and training

1. Selection and training

2. Recruitment and selection

3. Two views of the police • Text • Police role: Has transitioned from a “professional” to a“community-oriented” model. “COPS officers will have togravitate towards problem-solving and community building rather than high-profile arrests” • Officer behavior: “Officers will need to be accepted into the community and accepting of community input rather than isolated, apart, and suspicious. They will need to be more democratic and less authoritarian in their orientation than traditional officers.” • Jay • Police role: Role hasn’t substantially changed since the dawn of time: to promote civility and law observance • Officer behavior: Officers should strive to achieve their goals through voluntary compliance, with force and coercion as last resorts

4. Class exercise • Identify personal characteristics, knowledge, skills and abilities that can help working police officers do a good job. • Be sure your responses are justified by what police officers actually do • Which of these skills should police candidates have before going into the academy?

5. What personal skills are required? Incorruptible Tolerates stress Logical skills and intelligence People oriented Free of bias Self-insight, emotional stability Not impulsive Not overly aggressive Physical courage Command presence Works well as a team member Accepts leadership and direction

6. Where can we find candidateswith those skills? • College? • White collar occupations? • Service occupations? • Blue-collar occupations? • Military? • Professions?

7. Background characteristicsof police applicants • Working class and lower-middle class • Conservative political views • Looking for steady work with good benefits • Idealistic, want to help others • Prefer outside work – not be “cooped up” • Taste for risk and excitement • Lifetime interest (friends and relatives in law enforcement) • Assertiveness and physicality

8. Recruitment • Depends on economy • In strong economies recruitment suffers • In weak economies recruitment booms. During the recession NYPD was swamped with well-educated applicants, many from Wall Street. In November 2009 more than half the recruits in the academy had four-year degrees. • LAPD (not the highest-paid) starts officers in the $50,000 range • A few agencies require two-year degrees • Thirty years ago some (e.g. Ventura) required a four-year degree • Requiring 2 years has been validated against writing and verbal skills, which are critical components of police duties • Constricts applicant pool, disproportionately impacts minorities • Corruption and violence discourages applicants to urban departments • That, in turn, drives down hiring standards • Hiring officers who admit to prior drug use or have records has been linked to police misconduct (e.g., the Rampart scandal)

9. Entry examination process –written exam and oral interview • California P.O.S.T. standards • Peace officers are certified by the State • California law enforcement agencies must meetor surpass • Written exam • Reading, writing, general intellectual development • LAPDhas an essay to test writing skills • Oral interview • Evaluates what cannot be measured • Ability to communicate and reason, general poise and bearing • LAPD: “personal accomplishment, job motivation, continuous learning orientation, instrumentality, interpersonal skills, and oral communication skills”

10. Background (character) investigation • LAPD • By far the most important and expensive part of the process • Much more expensive for out-of-State candidates • Key components • Criminal, traffic and driver license history • Credit history and civil litigation • School and work • Family and friends, neighbors • Common shortcuts • Sketchy coverage of teachers, friends and acquaintances • Not checking prior addresses • Not inspecting juvenile records • Police Issues: What Should it Take to be Hired?

11. Physical agility • Police work occasionally requires: • Chasing people over obstacles(speed, endurance and agility) • Overcoming physical resistance(strength and flexibility) • Accurately deploying weapons under stress (strength and coordination) • LAPD • SIDE STEP (Agility): Ten seconds to move from one side of a center line to the other side as many times as possible • CABLE PULL (Strength): Five seconds to pull a pair of handles apart as hard as possible in a horizontal motion • STATIONARY BICYCLE (Endurance): Two minutes to pedal as many revolutions as possible against a pre-set resistance • TREADMILL (Aerobic capacity): Simulate running 1 ½ miles in 14 minutes

12. Psychological, polygraph and medical examinations • Psychological • Pencil and paper • Interviews with psychologists • Exclude emotionally unstable, overly aggressiveor suffer from a personality disorder • Polygraph • To confirm information developed during background investigation • To elicit information that might not otherwise be obtained • National Academy: polygraph is unreliable as an applicant screening tool • Usefulness as a prop • Medical • For conditions that could limit someone’s performance as a police officer • Disqualifying: hypertension, poor vision and hearing, excessively over or underweight, uncorrected hernias, respiratory problems • California P.O.S.T medical screening standards

13. LAPD Board of Inquiry Report into the Rampart Area Corruption IncidentMarch 1, 2000 Page 14: “While it is impossible to substantiate completely, itappears that the application of our hiring standards was compromisedwhen these officers were hired during periods of accelerated hiringin the late 1980s and early 1990s. This is not to say that anyoneintended to do so. But, one need only look at the pre-employmenthistories of these four people to see that something was seriouslywrong when they were approved for hire. The fact that these menwere hired with egregious information in their packages leaves only two explanations: 1) Recognize that erosion has occurred and shore up the systems to prevent it from recurring; or, 2) Insist that the application of our standards did not erode, which means that criminal conduct, drug dealing, financial irresponsibility and violent behavior are consistent with our standards. Clearly, there has been erosion, the blame for which cannot be placed on one individual or group, but rather on a multifaceted system with competing interests. We must recognize that it has occurred and commit ourselves to never sacrificing quality for the expediency of numbers.” Page 9: Of the 14 officers, four had questionable issues in their pre-employment background which strongly indicate they never should have been hired as Los Angeles Police Officers. Those four officers were hired in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1994, and three of them have since been fired for felonious conduct:

14. The officer hired in 1994 sold marijuana to two other students on one occasion while he was in high school. At age 15, the police detained him for investigation of tampering with vehicles on a car sales lot. He was taken to the station and released to his parents. Those law enforcement contacts were self-admitted and nothing on his criminal history printout indicates that he was ever formally arrested. However, there is a notation in the package that “All records have been sealed” indicating that he may have had a juvenile record that could not be accessed for the background investigation. In any event, the Police Department recommended his disqualification, but it was overturned by the Personnel Department. It is important to note that the July 9, 1991, Report of the Independent (Christopher) Commission...all but predicted that a weak application of hiring standards was allowing risky candidates to become Los Angeles Police Officers.

15. The officer hired in 1988 had been arrested as an adult for grand theft. The incident occurred when he struck a public bus driver during a dispute over a transfer. When the driver's watch fell to the ground, the officer picked it up and began walking away, which resulted in his arrest. The Department did not recommended his disqualification or deselect him under three whole scores. The officer hired in 1989 admitted losing his temper during arguments with his wife and pushing her on six different occasions. He was psychologically eliminated due to "temperament/impulse control." However, he was eventually cleared for hiring by the Personnel Department psychologist. The officer hired in 1990 had been arrested three times before he became an officer at the age of 24. As a juvenile, he was arrested for stealing hubcaps. As an adult, he was arrested and convicted of driving under the influence (DUI). One year before his hire, he was cited for having an open container of an alcoholic beverage in his car and was arrested for driving on a suspended license (suspended from the earlier DUI) for which he was sentenced to ten days in jail. In the military, he was disciplined for disobeying a lawful order. His background investigation disclosed that he "loses his cool very easily“ over minor incidents, and acted like a "big macho man." The psychological examiner advised the Personnel Department that there was not enough negative information to warrant his disqualification.”

16. 2007 – 2012: Problems at Maywood PD,and the aftermath • Known as “Department of second chances”. Examples of hires: • A former LASD deputy fired for abusing inmates • A former LAPD officer fired for witness intimidation • A former Huntington Park officer charged with negligently firing a gun and drunk driving • Also hired officers who flunked out of training programs • Allegations investigated by state and Federal officials: • Police and city officials bribed by a tow company • Officer extorted sex from relatives of a fugitive • Officer tried to run over the president of the Maywood Police Commission • Officer impregnated a teenage police explorer • Officers covered up a fatal police shooting (settled for $2.3 million) • Los Angeles Times article • California Attorney General’s final report • Maywood PD disbanded 2011; LASD hires four “problematic officers”

17. LASD loosens hiringstandards, then... • Hired over 2,500 deputies during 2005-2007 • Replaced rigid compliance with standards with“holistic” process, % of disqualified plunged • Reviewers told to balance problem areas against applicants’ overall history • Poor follow-up of negative flags • Approach affected entire screening process, even psychologist interviews • Examples of poor hiring decisions • 01/17/12 Deputy sheriff Henry Marin, 27, surrendered on charges that he helped a woman sneak a heroin-filled burrito into the Los Angeles County courthouse in 2010.  In the reality series “The Academy,” Marin was depicted flunking out.  He was allowed to go through a second time and passed. • Another deputy had past arrests for DUI, driving a vehicle with an altered VIN and vandalism. While on probationary status with another department was fired for using excessive force. • Result: Fired while on probation for anger management issues • Another deputy had a history of traffic tickets, marijuana, steroids and alcohol. • Result: Fired while on probation for assault and intoxication • OIR ReportPolice Issues

18. ...and the hiring problemsat LASD continued... • On December 1, 2013 the Los Angeles Timespublished the results of its investigation into theLASD’s hiring of 280 L.A. County guards asdeputies and jailers in 2010. • They were hired when the Sheriff’s Department took over policing of parks and government buildings • There was allegedly pressure on the LASD to hire the guards • During background checks at least 100 of these new deputies and jailers had demonstrated evidence of dishonesty. Fifteen had cheated on the polygraphs. • Two-hundred of these hires were previously rejected by other law enforcement agencies. Twenty-nine had been previously fired or forced to leave other policing jobs for various kinds of misconduct. • On December 17 LASD reported that about 80 of the hires did not meet department standards and should not have been made. • For the hiring files click here

19. ...and continued • Between 2005-2013 the LASD had a special hiring program, “Friends of the Sheriff,” that gave special treatment to relatives and friends of department officials and employees. • These candidates automatically came to the front of the applicant pool. Many were hired even though they had criminal records and/or personal histories that would have disqualified others. • For example, one of those hired – because he was a friend of Sheriff Lee Baca’s driver – had been convicted of misdemeanor sexual battery. • In December 2013, when confronted by evidence of this process, which was dug up by the L.A. Times, the Sheriff’s department confirmed it existed but that applicants were held to the same standards as everyone else. • One day later the Sheriff’s Department admitted this was not so and that mistakes had been made. Officials vowed to end the program. • L.A. Times article

20. Hiring issues around the U.S. • 01/18/09 A North Carolina police officer accused of sexually assaulting five female motorists was hired despite past incidents of violence, including one that resulted in a restraining order • 02/20/09 LA Sheriff’s relaxed policies allowed unsuitable candidates to be hired • 10/13/08 More than one in three Atlanta PD new hires have criminal records; many were rejected by other departments

21. What have other cities done? • Police Issues • Ex-FBI executive Jody Weis, hired to lead Chicago PD in 2008 • Department beset with excessive force and corruption issues • 04/08/11 Four former Chicago cops to plea guilty to federalcharges of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from drugdealers and others by staging phony arrests and searches. These events, which occurred in the mid and late 2000’s, led to the conviction ofseven other officers. All were members of an elite squad. • Weis ran head-on into police union and politicians • Human services board had final say on firing • Refused to fire cop who beat handcuffed citizen • Reversed 40 percent of department decisions, allow in those rejected elsewhere • Weis raised entry standards to 2 years college and/or military experience • Washington D.C. , also suffering from recruit performance issues, has done the same • Meanwhile, LAPD, where poor hiring decisions helped lead to Rampart, requires only GED or high school exit exam (same at LASD)

22. Training

23. Class exercise • What should police trainees learn in the academy? List subjects in order of importance. • Be sure you tie in the topics to what police officers actually do.

24. Types of training • Peace Officer Standards and Training Commissions • Set entry requirements and minimum trainingstandards for pre-service and in-service training • Academy training (pre-service) • Knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s) to do patrol work • Often includes field practicums (e.g., ride-alongs) • Field training • Continue working on KSA’s • Observe recruits; weed out those unsuitable for real-world policing • Field Training Officers (FTO’s) • Probationary period • On-the-job (in-service) • Refine and practice skills • Learn new skills for other assignments

25. Academy training • Does it cover all the critical KSA’s? • Emphasis on narrow technical skills (law,report writing, physical arrest, firearms) • Areas of insufficient attention • Cognitive skills (reasoning, information processing) • Decision-making skills • Interpersonal skills (defusing, not aggravating situations) • Using discretion • Resource and quality-control issues • Rich jurisdictions / poor jurisdictions • Inequities in funding and large variability in curricula and instruction between agencies

26. Academy styles • Traditional “stress” academies (e.g., LASD,OCSD) • Modeled on military • Gain instant compliance, instill discipline and enhance teamwork skills • May hinder learning, discourage analysis and innovation and fail to prepare recruits to act independently • LASD academy nearly decertified LASD academy OIR report • Gave students answers, allowed them to repeat academy multiple times, uncertified instructors, TV show interfered with training • Collegiate-style academies (e.g., LAPD) • Stress academies accused of producing low-functioning robots • Modeled on higher education, foster judgment & analytical skills • Tailored for individual rather than team work • May not reach undisciplined recruits and those with little life experience. • Police Issues: Sheriff Baca’s Police Academy Black Monday

27. Constraints on curricula • Academy length: 30 years ago most academies weretwo months long – now they are five or moremonths in length • LAPD Eight months (includes ride-alongs) • California POST Four months Statewideminimum (Basic course training specifications) • Criticality of basic skills • Officer safety • Liability issues • Report writing • Student ability to absorb instruction • Many have limited verbal and writing skills • Most all are young and lack maturity

28. The environment of policing:can academies deliver? • Practical decision-making exercises • role playing is very time-consuming • Realism is difficult to achieve • Students lack work experience (context) to internalize instruction • Classroom instruction – personal skills, defusing incidents • Producing changes in behavior can take months of intense instruction • Health care professionals learn this hands-on, during internships • Many cadets have limited life and work experience • Unrealistic expectations • By the time police arrive situations have often resolved or escalated beyond what talking can accomplish • Time may be better spent on weaponless defense and use of less-than-lethal weapons

29. “A Dead Marine, and a lotof Questions” • Police Issues • About 4:30 am, 2/7/12 USMC Sgt. Manuel Loggins drovehis SUV onto San Clemente High. His 9 and 14-year old daughters were in the back. • A nearby OCSD deputy saw the vehicle speed and crash through a gate. Loggins walked off. More deputies arrived. They checked on the girls and set up a perimeter. • Several minutes later Loggins returned. He ignored commands, got in the SUV and started to drive off. A deputy then fatally shot him. • The deputies’ organization defended the shooting and said it “clearly prevented” the girls from coming to serious harm. Months later the D.A. later ruled that the deputy did not commit a crime, and he was allowed to return to duty. • Exchange agreement: Police expected to use least amount of force necessary • Failure to contain a situation can allow it to escalate to the point where officers may decide – reasonably or not – that the only available solution is to use deadly force. • Alternatives may require pre-emption and innovation • Grabbing the kids, jamming the SUV with patrol cars, using a Taser, etc. • Can academy training help? • Are static, choreographed responses (e.g., a “perimeter”) over-emphasized? • Should innovative, adaptive responses be encouraged? How? • Are certain academy models less likely to foster creative solutions?

30. Field training

31. Field training • A new officer’s first step after the academy • A form of OJT (on-the-job training) • Recruit learns laws and procedures • Through modeling, application and repetition • In more depth and greater complexity than possible at the academy • Recruit learns how to deal with citizens and offenders • Command presence • Evaluate situations for risks and opportunities • When and how to apply force and coercion • Recruit’s suitability is evaluated by experienced officers • Is recruit trainable? Does s/he follow directions? • Does recruit have the necessary physical and mental acumen? • Can the recruit be trusted to exercise appropriate judgment?