Ensuring Compliance in Peace Officer Selection

1. POST Peace Officer Selection Standards: The Chief's Role and Responsibilities in Ensuring Compliance March 16, 2016 California Police Chiefs Association Kate Singer, Chief Standards, Evaluation and Research Bureau Shelley Weiss Spilberg, Ph.D. Senior Research Specialist California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training

2. Learning Objectives POST Regulations & Guidance on: • Sharing information among background investigators, psychologists, hiring authorities and others • Selection and training of screening psychologists • Using POST dimensions in candidate assessment

3. POST’s Role in Peace Officer Selection • Screen-Out vs. Select-In • Minimum Standards • One set of selection standards for peace officers (in contrast to training) • Standards: 1950 et. seq. • Guidelines: POST Manuals • Legal Information (vs. Legal Advice)

5. 1. Information sharing among those determining candidate suitability. Background Investigation Reg. 1953(g)(3): The (BI) narrative report and any other relevant background information shall be shared with the psychological evaluator… This information shall also be shared with others involved in the hiring process, such as screening physicians, if it is relevant to their respective evaluations.”

6. Background InvestigationsRegulation 1953(d)(2): “At the post-offer stage, background investigators, examining physicians, examining psychologists, and others involved in the hiring decision shall work cooperatively to ensure that each has the information necessary to conduct their respective investigations and/or assessments of the candidate.”

7. Peace Officer Medical EvaluationRegulation 1954(e): “Information from the medical evaluation may be provided to others involved in the hiring process, if it is relevant to their respective determinations of candidate suitability.”

8. Peace Officer Psychological EvaluationRegulation 1953(e)(3): “Personal history information includes the candidate's relevant work, life and developmental history based on information collected during the background investigation.”

9. Common Bases for Background & Psychological Disqualification • Interpersonal Problems • Driving Issues • Incomplete/inaccurate forms/ unsatisfactory work history • Criminal activity • Deliberate misstatements/omissions • Unsatisfactory work history • Social Adjustment/Competence • Impulse Control/Anger Management • Emotional Control • Conscientiousness/Dependability • Defiance of Rules and Authority • Integrity • Judgment/Decision-Making • Substance Abuse • Racism/Sexism

10. POST ψ/BI Screening Dimensions

11. Character Attributes Assessed Throughout the Peace Officer Selection Process • Integrity • Conscientiousness • Impulse Control/Substance Abuse and Other Risk-Taking Behavior • Stress Tolerance/Emotional Regulation • Decision-Making & Judgment • Communication Skills – written and oral • Social Competence/Interpersonal Skills

12. Still More Reasons for Sharing Backgrounds with the Psychologist • Reliability - assessments of same attributes through multiple measures and people • Verification – • Third party BI information • Difficult to keep lies straight • Behaviors are less subject to impression management

13. Background Investigation: Regulation 1953(d) “Nonmedical or nonpsychological background information may be collected after a conditional offer of employment (COE) is issued if it could not have reasonably been collected prior to the COE (Government Code section 1031.2).” • Documents that cannot be obtained and evaluated during the pre-offer period, and • Information from contacts and interviews with references.

14. Pre-Offer Background Investigation: Document Collection • Personal History Statement (PHS) • Credit Checks • Criminal Record Checks • DMV Report • Birth Certificate/Naturalization Papers • Transcripts • Other non-medical areas of inquiry

15. 2. Selection and Training of Screening Psychologists [Regulation 1955(a)(2)] • Psychologist Competency Requirements • Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Requirements

16. Psychological Evaluator List

20. Orientation and Training of Psychologists1954(d)(1) & 1955(e)(1) • Unique features of the agency environment • Reporting requirements over and above those required by POST. • Selection criteria beyond those required by POST. • Factors associated with peace officer success and failure. • Feedback on outcome of hired candidates.

21. 3. POST Screening Dimensions • Specific behaviors underlying defined areas of candidate (un)suitability. • Psychological dimensions provide common language for chief to communicate agency risk tolerances and concerns to psychologist, and for psychologist to provide evaluation results to chief.

22. POST Background & Psychological Dimensions Integrity Indicators: Background Dishonesty in the hiring process Lying about past mistakes or oversights Abuses of privileges and benefits of the job Cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty Psychological Uses the badge to solicit gratuities or favors, on or off-duty Tampers with evidence, slants reports and/or provides inaccurate testimony Resorts to “street justice” rather than adhering to laws, policies

23. Psychological Evaluation ReportsRegulation 1955(g)