Deck 4: Becoming a Police Officer

Question 1

Word-of-mouth advertising by family members and friends is a common way people receive information about jobs in policing and criminal justice.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Most police departments will reject a candidate for employment with a felony conviction, but a misdemeanor conviction does not necessarily prohibit a person from employment.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

All police departments have the same hiring standards that have to be met by applicants.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The background investigation for most police department's usually only looks back five years into the applicant's life and history.

Question 5

Most police agencies require vision that is correctable to 20/20.

Question 6

The use of the polygraph was severely limited by the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA), signed into law in June 1988.

Question 7

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately _____ of police departments require some type of college requirement.

A)15%
B)17%
C)50%
D)80%

Question 8

If a competent job analysis is done, tests in the police screening process are considered to be:

A)occupationally related
B)race/gender neutral
C)discriminate
D)job related

Question 9

Oral interview boards are used to examine a candidate's characteristics that might be otherwise difficult to assess, including poise, presence, and communication skills.

Question 10

What police department has served as the model for field training programs since the 1970s?

A)San Jose, California
B)Reno, Nevada
C)Dallas, Texas
D)Chicago, Illinois

Question 11

The first use of the polygraph was by the New York City Police Department in the late 1970s.

Question 12

According to your text, a challenge to recruiting qualified police offers is:

A)increased educational requirements
B)armed forces deployments
C)baby boomers are retiring at a fast rate
D)all are challenges to recruiting

Question 13

The police selection process is relatively simple and enables a candidate to become hired as a police officer within several months after taking the entrance examination.

Question 14

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), _____ of local police departments provide college tuition reimbursement to their officers.

A)6%
B)35%
C)76%
D)87%

Question 15

According to the text, a vast majority of police departments administer polygraph examinations to candidates for the police officer position.

Question 16

Most small cities in the United States have their own police academies.

Question 17

A vast majority of police agencies require a bachelor's degree as a minimum educational requirement.

Question 18

A credit check is not often used in the police selection process.

Question 19

What percentage of the United States law enforcement agencies has vacancies according to your text?

A)60%
B)80%
C)40%
D)35%

Question 20

Courts typically do not support minimum height and weight requirements for police officers but do support the need for maximum weight standards or a weight-to-height proportion ratio.

Question 21

What selection process can be used to examine a candidate's characteristics that might be otherwise difficult to assess, including poise, presence, and communication skills?

A)one-on-one interview
B)oral board
C)polygraph
D)interview with the chief

Question 22

Intimidating to applicants is the ratio of applicants that actually make it to the police force is:

A)1 out of 100
B)10 out of 100
C)30 out of 100
D)15 out of 100

Question 23

The ____________________ identifies the important tasks that must be performed by police officers and then identifies the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform those tasks.

Question 24

Which of the following do some researchers still consider discriminatory to women?

A)background investigation
B)psychological examination
C)physical agility test
D)written entrance exam

Question 25

Considered a "learning position" for potential police candidates while they are pursuing their education:

A)police dispatcher
B)police cadet
C)public service attendant
D)community service attendant

Question 26

After the conditional offer of employment to a potential police candidate, the final stage of the selection process is:

A)polygraph and medical evaluation
B)psychological and polygraph evaluation
C)physical agility and medical evaluation
D)psychological and medical evaluation

Question 27

Which of the following is not considered when selecting police applicants?

A)education
B)physical abilities
C)vision
D)criminal history of parents

Question 28

____________ is on-the-job training for recently graduated recruits from the police academy.

A)Recruit training
B)Initial training
C)Field training
D)In service training

Question 29

In the ____________________ simulation, targets depicting "good guys" and "bad guys" pop up, requiring officers to make split-second decisions.

Question 30

The label given to the current generation of 18 to 25 year olds:

A)generation X
B)generation Y
C)yuppie
D)generation Next

Question 31

The _______________ is an invaluable tool in the selection process and aids in assessing an individual's current level of functioning as a potential police officer.

A)interview with the chief
B)polygraph
C)oral interview
D)pre-employment psychological evaluation

Question 32

Select the correct answer regarding police educational requirements.

A)Most departments require a four-year college degree.
B)Most departments require a two-year college degree.
C)Most departments require some college.
D)Most departments do not require any college but require a high school degree or its equivalent.

Question 33

What stage of the police selection process screens out the most candidates?

A)written entrance exam
B)background investigation
C)polygraph
D)oral interview

Question 34

Among local law enforcement agencies, as reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in 2003, _____ of local departments required a four-year college degree.

A)1%
B)25%
C)56%
D)81%

Question 35

What stage of the police selection process receives the most litigation?

A)background examination
B)written entrance exam
C)physical agility test
D)medical exam

Question 36

An adverse impact or a different rate of selection occurs when the selection rate for any gender, race, or ethnic group is less than _____ of the selection rate for the group with the highest selection rate.

A)50%
B)60%
C)80%
D)90%

Question 37

According to your text, which is not a key feature that departments look for in recruits?

A)emotional intelligence
B)ability to communicate
C)good family history
D)maturity

Question 38

Select the correct answer regarding police age requirements.

A)Most departments require beginning officers to be less than 29 years old.
B)Most departments require beginning officers to be less than 35 years old.
C)Most departments have no maximum age limit.
D)Fifty percent of departments have maximum age limits.

Question 39

According to John Firman, the research director for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the most common restriction on hiring applicants for police service with a history of drug use within the recent past is _____ years for hard drugs and _____ years for marijuana.

A)5, 5
B)10, 5
C)10, 10
D)20, 10

Question 40

The purpose of the medical examination is to:

A)screen out as many candidates as possible
B)ensure that candidates can do the police job
C)screen out candidates who may suffer a future knee injury
D)screen out candidates who suffer from chronic colds

Question 41

Explain the typical selection process most police departments use to identify and select qualified police officers.

Question 42

The beginning of the socialization process for the new police officer begins __________.

Question 43

Describe some of the ways in which a candidate for police employment can locate police job openings.

Question 44

The period of time that a department has to evaluate a new officer's ability to perform his or her job effectively is called the ____________________.

Question 45

The ability to interpret, understand, and manage one's own and others' emotions is called _____________.

Question 46

The average probationary period for police officers ranges from ____________________.

Question 47

A form of de facto discrimination resulting from a testing element that discriminates against a particular group, essentially keeping them out of the applicant pool is known as ________ _________.

Question 48

Describe the role of the FTO in the training process.

Question 49

Describe the field training process.

Question 50

The first step after submitting an application to a department is the ________________.

Question 51

Today, many agencies have replaced Hogan's Alley programs with ____________________.

Question 52

List and discuss the major steps in the police selection process.

Question 53

An experienced officer who mentors and trains a new police officer is a _____________.

Question 54

Generally, what is the written examination used for?

Question 55

Describe typical educational requirements for police selection.

Question 56

The type of training that is used to update the skills and knowledge base of veteran officers on a constant basis is called ____________________.

Question 57

The initial training a police officer receives is called ____________________.

Question 58

On-the-job training of recently graduated recruits from the police academy is called ____________________.

Question 59

Why are field training programs and probationary periods vital phases in the police hiring process?

Question 60

Detail the criticisms of physical agility testing.

Question 61

Describe the 10 processes for a solid background investigation