Q: What are the two main components of building a police department?
A: Selecting the right people from an applicant pool.
Providing the best training.
Q: What does a well-performing department require?
A: Well-performing department requires good officers.
Q: What does effective policing depend on?
A: Strong recruitment efforts.
Appropriate selection standards.
A thorough selection process.
Adequate training.
Q: Why is diversity in police departments critical?
A: Different styles, skills, ideas, understandings.
Police characteristics reflect diverse population.
Q: Why is having more applicants beneficial?
A: More applicants provides more well-qualified individuals.
Q: What is the trend in police applicants?
A: Fewer applicants compared to five years ago.
Q: What must departments do due to fewer applicants?
A: Necessary changes to recruiting strategies.
Q: What motivates people to become police officers?
A: Opportunity to help
Job benefits
Q: What motivates officers after 5 years?
A: Job Security
Job Benefits
Early Retirement.
Q: Are motivations consistent across demographics?
A: Reasons consistent across races, genders.
Q: What recruitment strategies do most departments use?
A: Most departments with specific budget will do
Newspaper
Internet advertisements
Personal contacts, referrals.
Q: community service officer programs?
A: Hiring college students
Q: What are Police Explorer programs?
A: Ages 14-21 educate and provide training and experience.
Q: What is the national average police salary?
A: 2020 national average, $70,000.
Q: How does salary vary across departments?
A: Wide variation between departments.
Q: What additional pay may officers receive?
A: Overtime pay for non-salary officers.
Q: How do police salary increases compare to other public services?
A: Increases grow faster than other public services.
Q: benefits and policies
A: Academy training, paid salary.
- Uniform, equipment allowances.
- Additional pay for degree; tuition
reimbursement.
- Residency requirements.
Q: What happens when selection standards are lower?
A: Lower standards, larger pool.
Hiring of unqualified officers.
Q: Why are some standards relaxed?
A: for work-life balance.
Q: What guides the selection of police officers?
A: Guided by Law
Q: Why are selection decisions permanent?
A: Most officers stay in hiring department.
Q: What are civil service protections?
A: Based on qualifications, merit, demotion dismiss for cause
Q: What is seniority related to?
A: Seniority, sometimes retirement eligibility.
