U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Service 

COPS 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICE 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Innovations 

in Police 

and 

Hiring in the 

Spirit of Service 

Recruitment 

Hiring 

By 

Ellen Scrivner, Ph.D. 

c 

This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement # 2001-CK-WX-K094 by the U.S. 

Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Points of view or 

opinions contained in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent 

the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Hiring in the Spirit of Service 

Cover Design by Ayonna Johnson, Northrop Grumman contractor to 

U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office 
Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 1
 

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 5
 

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 7
 

Chapter One 

Objectives of the Report ............................................................................................9
 

History of the Project ............................................................................................. 10
 

Five Demonstrtion Sites ...................................................................................................... 11
 

HSS Initil Project Objectives ............................................................................................. 12
 

Chapter Two 

Overview of Law Enforcement Selection History ................................ 15
 

Recruiting nd Selecting Police Cndidtes ...................................................................... 15
 

100,000 New Cops on the Bet .......................................................................................... 17
 

Objectives of HSS s  Mjor Chnge Effort ..................................................................... 17


 HSS Implementtion Strtegies ........................................................................................... 18
 

Chapter Three 

Selecting and Supporting Demonstration Sites ..................................... 21
 

Case Studies of Sites: Real-World Stories .................................................... 22
 

Scrmento Police Deprtment: A Cll to Serve ............................................................... 22
 

Burlington Police Deprtment: Work tht Mtters ........................................................... 30
 

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office: 

Could you nswer the Cll? ........................................................................................ 36


 Detroit Police Deprtment: Give Bck. Get More ............................................................ 43


 King County Sheriff’s Office: Accept the Challenge ....................................................... 50
 

Chapter Four 

Commonalties Across HSS Sites .......................................................................... 59
 

i 
Chapter Five 

HSS Lessons Learned ................................................................................................... 65
 

Menu Of Promising Practices ............................................................................. 71
 

About the Author .................................................................................................................... 75
 

About the Community Policing Consortium .......................................................... 77
 

About the Cops Office ............................................................................................................. 79
 

Appendices 

Appendix A: Cliforni Commission on POST

 Patrol Officer Psychological Screening Dimensions. 

Scrmento Police Deprtment .............................................................................. 81
 

Appendix B: Report on Findings from Focus Groups

 of Sacramento Female and Minority Police Officers. 

Scrmento Police Deprtment ................................................................................. 91
 

Appendix C: Community Focus Group Discussion Guidelines
 

Scrmento Police Deprtment ................................................................................. 99
 

Appendix D: Performance Appraisal of Police Officers
	

Scrmento Police Deprtment ............................................................................... 103
 

Appendix E: Use of Hilson Job Anlysis Questionnire (HJAQ)

 for Identifying Desired Chrcteristics of Community

 Oriented Police Officers
	

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office .................................................................. 120
 

Appendix F: A Pln for Community Inclusion 

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office ................................................................... 127
 

Appendix G: Recruiting Ambssdors Progrm 

Detroit Police Deprtment ..................................................................................... 147
 

Appendix H: Focus Group Report. 

Detroit Police Deprtment ..................................................................................... 149
 

Appendix I: Site Contct Informtion .............................................................................. 152
 

ii 
Executive Summary 
Executive Summary 

Executive Summary 

Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS) is  federlly funded project tht reflects  mjor chnge in policing. In designted 

communities, HSS-prticipting gencies re enlisting the community to help them crry out one of the most significnt 

nd fundmentl processes in  lw enforcement gency—recruiting nd hiring of service-oriented lw enforcement 

personnel. This report presents findings from the HSS project. It ws supported by  coopertive greement wrded to 

the Community Policing Consortium (CPC) by the U.S. Deprtment of Justice Office of Community Oriented Police 

Services (the COPS Office). 

Under the greement, the CPC undertook  full exmintion of lw enforcement’s best prctices to recruit nd hire 

officers nd deputies who hve the skills nd bilities necessry to be effective s community police officers. The CPC 

set out to exmine the components of trditionl screening procedures nd to crete innovtive wys to revise trditionl 

prctices to mke them consistent with the principles of community policing. As such, the CPC ws prticulrly 

interested in  strong emphsis on community enggement—the core of community policing—which enbles the 

building of trust, the development of collbortive problem-solving prtnerships, nd greter ccountbility to the 

community. These emphses set community policing prt from the professionl model of policing nd hve been 

instrumentl in introducing chnge to the police culture. 

Informtion in this report shows how HSS tkes community policing to  new level nd expnds beyond the fmilir 

tsks of informtion shring nd problem solving to include  mjor chnge effort in fundmentl orgniztion 

processes tht hve significnt policy implictions. It tells the rel-world stories of the five lw enforcement gencies 

tht were selected through  competitive process to serve s demonstrtion sites. These sites represent the gmut of 

lw enforcement in the country. They rnge from  smll deprtment seeking to represent  growing multiculturl 

community (Burlington, Vermont), to  stte cpitl recovering from mss retirements nd concerned bout the impct 

on its community policing mission (Scrmento, Cliforni), to  lrge urbn deprtment with n incresing incidence 

of violence nd ll of the chllenges of big city policing (Detroit, Michign), to two full-service sheriffs gencies 

(Hillsborough County, Florid nd King County, Wshington) tht sw HSS s  vehicle to expnd community policing 

inititives nd to tke sheriffs’ deputies to  broder dimension of performnce. 

The report detils how these sites went to gret lengths to involve citizens in substntive wys nd how the communities 

influenced strtegies nd outcomes. It describes how the sites used community input to crete new recruitment methods 

nd mrketing inititives to rech service-oriented cndidtes, prticulrly those from diverse communities, nd how 

they revised selection procedures bsed on this input. These revisions re institutionlizing hiring prctices tht re 

bsed on the identified personl chrcteristics nd required competencies necessry to perform the community policing 

function. These sme competencies will become incresingly criticl s lw enforcement tkes on expnded roles tht re 

collterl to greter involvement in the homelnd security mission. 

The report highlights unique ccomplishments nd chllenges fced t ech site nd reports on commonlties 

experienced cross ll sites s well s the lessons lerned from their experiences. It concludes with  menu of best 

prctices tht cn be explored by other lw enforcement gencies who seek to implement recruitment nd hiring prctices 

tht will dvnce their community policing mission. It lso shows tht the HSS project evolved into much more thn 

 federl grnt focused on hiring. Within this context, HSS becme  vlue-dded inititive tht is influencing other 

orgniztionl prctices in the gencies involved in the project. 

1 
Executive Summary 

As  result of HSS, there is  better definition of community policing’s lw enforcement ctivities nd the required 

behviors, personl chrcteristics, nd competencies needed to perform s  community policing officer. One of 

the most compelling fetures of the spirit of service orienttion, s reflected in this body of work, is the recognition 

tht community policing ppers to hve tpped into wht my be n underlying motivtion of lw enforcement 

officers ntionwide: the drive to mke  difference nd to give something bck to their communities. 

NOTE: 

Despite the best of intentions there are sometimes unforeseen circumstances that may negatively impact efforts 

underway. After the conclusion of this project, the Detroit Police Department was confronted with one such 

challenge. A budget crisis forced the department to lay off approximately 150 recruits and officers. This will impact 

efforts to advance minority recruitment and hiring service-oriented officers. However, what was accomplished 

through HSS can still be utilized once the city is in a better financial position to resume its officer recruitment 

efforts. 

2 

Acknowledgements 
Acknowledgements 

Acknowledgements 

The uthor cknowledges the pioneering work of the Community Policing Consortium (CPC) in undertking  project 

to further the dvncement of community policing. Specil thnks to the CPC project prtners who worked tirelessly 

to bring Hiring in the Spirit of Service to conclusion despite mny unnticipted setbcks. The following individuls 

represent the CPC prtnership nd re cknowledged for their efforts: 

• Dvid Bostrom, Interntionl Assocition of Chiefs of Police 

• Thoms Rhtign, Ntionl Sheriffs’ Assocition 

• Kren Amendol, Ph.D., Police Foundtion 

• Rquel Mnso, Police Foundtion 

• Drew Dimond, Police Executive Reserch Forum 

• Willim Hrrison, Ntionl Orgniztion of Blck Lw Enforcement Executives 

The stedy ledership provided by CPC Executive Director Willim Mtthews helped overcome obstcles. A longtime dvocte of developing trust with, nd ccountbility to, the community nd ensuring tht community policing is 

fully supportive of the civil liberties of citizens, Mr. Mtthews provided the stewrdship tht brought the project to  

successful conclusion. 

The uthor lso cknowledges the coopertion of the five demonstrtion sites. Project stffs were continuously 

ccessible, nswered n unending number of questions, nd willingly shred their experiences nd frustrtions in n open 

nd direct mnner, but not without humor. They submitted to long interviews nd provided documents in  mnner tht 

creted  trnsprent grnt process. Recognizing tht the successful completion of the project ws the result of the efforts 

of mny people t ech site, the glue tht held the project together ws the untiring efforts nd dediction of the site 

project mngers. The uthor cknowledges the efforts of the following individuls: 

• Smnth Brinkley, Scrmento Police Deprtment, Scrmento, Cliforni 

• Lorelei Bowden, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County, Florid 

• Deputy Chief Stephen Wrk, Burlington Police Deprtment, Burlington, Vermont 

• Rlph Cdy, King County Sheriff’s Office, King County, Wshington 

• Elsie Scott, Ph.D., Detroit Police Deprtment, Detroit, Michign 

All worked diligently to dvnce the project nd see it through to completion. 

Finlly, the uthor cknowledges Thoms Frsier,  pst Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

(COPS), who brought the ide of hiring in the spirit of service, rther thn dventure, to the COPS Office; current 

Director of COPS, Crl Peed, for his support of  grnt progrm tht enhnces COPS hiring progrms by ddressing 

the requisite skills of the officers recruited nd hired through those inititives; Kenneth M. Howrd, the COPS Project 

Mnger, who ssiduously mnged nd pproved ll detils of this inititive; nd Amy Schpiro from the COPS Office 

who ssisted in seeing this project to completion. The potentil to chnge the qulity of lw enforcement hs been 

substntively dvnced by this COPS Office vlue-dded inititive. 

5 
Introduction 
Introduction 

Introduction 

Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS) is bringing mjor chnge to policing in designted communities. In five HSS 

demonstrtion sites, lw enforcement gencies hve enlisted the community to help them crry out one of the most 

significnt nd fundmentl processes in  lw enforcement gency—recruiting nd hiring lw enforcement personnel. 

These five gencies re sking their communities to help shpe how public sfety services re delivered nd to ssist 

them in hiring the right people to crry out the policing function. This fundmentl chnge is the outcome of the 

federlly funded HSS project, undertken by the Community Policing Consortium (CPC), which provided support to 

exmine criticl bseline tsks tht re essentil to recruiting nd hiring lw enforcement personnel. 

The gol of the HSS exmintion involved developing recruitment nd selection methodology tht is consistent with 

requirements of community policing. As such, it plced  hevy premium on incresing community involvement in 

ll fcets of these processes. It cme t  prticulrly criticl time becuse lw enforcement gencies ntionwide hd 

dopted the community policing philosophy with little guidnce to ensure tht the officers nd deputies who were being 

hired were indeed cpble of crrying out the community policing role. 

There is little question tht the qulity of policing services is linked directly to the individul behvior of officers nd 

deputies nd to the orgniztionl philosophy tht supports their behvior. When the orgniztionl philosophy shifts, 

however, it clls into question whether the trditionl models tht hve been used to recruit nd hire re sufficient 

to support the requirements of the new community policing model. Therefore, different selection models need to be 

explored. Such ws the HSS mission undertken by the CPC. 

The CPC’s long history of providing support for community policing positioned the orgniztion to initite  

comprehensive exmintion of ll elements of ccepted lw enforcement selection processes nd to introduce 

fundmentl chnge, where possible, in the five lw enforcement gencies tht were selected s demonstrtion sites. The 

gol clerly hs been relized: ll five sites hve dpted innovtions in their recruitment nd hiring models, innovtions 

tht re consistent with their community policing philosophy. 

As the HSS project unfolded, it ws cler tht it ws evolving into much more thn  grnt simply focused on hiring. 

Rther, it begn to influence other orgniztionl prctices in the gencies involved in the project. HSS heightened 

wreness throughout the orgniztions tht ensuring public sfety involves more thn lw enforcement “ctching 

bd guys” nd mking good rrests. It lso involves  commitment to providing  service nd tht reliztion brings  

renewed pprecition for wht lw enforcement service relly mens. In essence, tht pprecition my be the driving 

force tht motivtes lw enforcement officers ntionwide—the drive to mke  difference nd give something bck to 

their communities. 

7 
Chapter One 

History of 

the Project 
HIstory of the Project 

Objectives of the Report 

This report tells the story of ech site nd describes the rel-world issues tht emerged when implementing significnt 

chnge in existing processes designed to recruit nd select lw enforcement officers. It lso discusses how ech site 

progressed to meet its gols of hiring service-oriented lw enforcement recruits, nd it describes the chllenges encountered 

long the wy. 

At the outset, it cknowledges tht recruiting nd hiring qulity cndidtes hs become  lrger problem for lw 

enforcement thn it hs been in the pst. For mny yers, concerns bout gender nd rcil bises ginst protected clsses 

dominted the hiring lndscpe. Yet lw enforcement gencies hd the luxury of meeting ffirmtive ction gols while 

mking their selections from long lists of willing nd eger cndidtes nd hiring only those who met rigid criteri—wht 

mny referred to s the crem of the crop. 

In tody’s world, gender nd rce remin s criticl issues but cndidte lists re much shorter becuse competition from 

other sectors of the economy provides broder opportunities for qulity cndidtes. These opportunities cn mke positions 

in public sfety seem less ttrctive. Moreover, negtive medi ccounts of rogue officers, s well s those tht describe 

the substntil chllenges fced by professionl lw enforcement officers trying to do their jobs, my discourge mny 

from considering lw enforcement creer opportunities. Further, potentil cndidtes from diverse communities, the very 

people whom lw enforcement seeks to ttrct, my shy wy from these opportunities becuse  history of crimonious 

reltionships my present  skewed picture of wht lw enforcement is ll bout; potentil cndidtes my fer ctive 

dispprovl from community peers for joining up with the perceived enemy. 

The long–stnding gender nd rce issues hve become further complicted by the need to ensure tht the country’s 

burgeoning immigrnt popultions re represented in lw enforcement. Lw enforcement gencies cross the country re 

struggling to ttrct officer nd deputy cndidtes who cn respond to, nd communicte with, multi-culturl communities. 

With Hispnic communities estimted to be the fstest growing segment of the popultion, bilingul cndidtes re 

becoming  priority nd mny gencies now provide Spnish lessons for tenured officers. However, eqully importnt 

to lnguge skills re cndidtes who understnd the ethnic complexities of Hispnic nd Asin popultions s well s 

the unique strins experienced by Middle Estern communities. Consequently, the cpcity to bridge culturl gps with 

communities of color is becoming importnt for lw enforcement nd dds  new dimension to the cndidte competencies 

sought by lw enforcement. 

Accordingly, mjor issues tht need to be confronted in recruitment nd hiring include lw enforcement looking like the 

communities they serve nd getting the right people into the job while voiding ttrcting the wrong people, prticulrly 

those who buse uthority. Abuse of uthority is ntitheticl to effective policing nd prticulrly so for community 

policing, which plces  premium on developing trusting reltionships with the community. 

The informtion contined in this report sets out to show how the five lw enforcement deprtments met the chllenges 

inherent to this mjor chnge effort tht ws designed to bring innovtion to selection processes. It lso describes how ech 

site engged the community in reshping recruiting nd hiring prctices, nd how they sought community input to crete 

powerful messges tht tell the story of wht policing is ll bout. These messges becme their “brnd”, the imge they 

seek to convey to the community nd to potentil cndidtes—messges tht reflect the spirit of service tht is integrl to 

the philosophy nd vlues of community policing. 

9 
History of the Project 

History of the Project 

Funded by the U.S. Deprtment of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Community 

Policing Consortium (CPC) proposed to exmine recruitment nd hiring prctices in five sites cross the ntion. It sought 

to explore methods nd prctices for hiring police cndidtes who were motivted by the spirit of service—in contrst 

only to the spirit of dventure—cndidtes who could develop dynmic nd working prtnerships with the community 

nd work collbortively to solve community problems. This emphsis evolved following the unprecedented infusion 

of hiring nd trining funds tht were provided by the COPS Office to promote proctive lw enforcement, nd the 

reliztion tht to dvnce community policing, the COPS Office needed to go beyond the trditionl selection models 

tht hired incident-driven, commnd-nd-control officers. Rther, there needed to be  focus on recruiting officers who 

were representtive of the community nd who brought the skill sets, competencies, nd personl chrcteristics tht 

were necessry to fully implement community policing. 

Fully cogniznt of the complexity of community policing, the CPC sw the need to identify the criticl blnce of 

knowledge, skills, nd bilities s well s the trits, chrcteristics, nd bckground experiences tht would ensure  

requisite blend of effective enforcement,  service orienttion, nd officer sfety. Collterlly, the CPC lso looked 

t how to ttrct individuls of interest, how to hire nd retin them, nd how to engge the community to help them 

chieve these gols. Within this context, the CPC encourged sites to elicit community feedbck through focus groups 

nd subsequent prticiption in fcets of the screening process. 

The CPC lso encourged sites to explore the use of mrketing techniques, s though selling  product, nd to develop 

“brnds” tht would uniquely signify wht their community policing orgniztion stnds for. Borrowing from the 

corporte world, the concept of “brnding” typiclly involves use of  logo tht presents  vibrnt imge tht signifies 

universl recognition of n orgniztion’s dediction to their product. In the world of lw enforcement, the ”brnd” 

nd/or logo should communicte  similr messge nd illustrte  deprtment’s dediction to their mission. Further, the 

messge needs to be communicted in such  wy tht ech deprtment’s service orienttion uniquely resontes with the 

community. Within this context, ech site is mrketing  product—n interesting nd chllenging creer tht presents n 

opportunity to mke  difference in the community. 

Trditionlly, there hve been limited resources pplied to mrketing in lw enforcement gencies. As  result, the 

stories of police nd sheriffs re told through medi ccounts tht typiclly focus on incidents of brutlity, corruption, 

ineptness, or notorious ctions described s buse of the innocent. In these ccounts, it hs been rre to find  focus on 

the service spects of policing or on the courge nd brvery of lw enforcement personnel. Consequently, Hiring in the 

Spirit of Service (HSS) provided the sites with n opportunity to tell their own stories nd to use methods tht pushed 

the envelope—not  typicl occurrence in lw enforcement gencies tht re known to be lrgely conservtive. This fcet 

of the project provoked new wys to tlk bout lw enforcement. Moreover, it clerly drove innovtion in the five sites 

selected to prticipte in this hllmrk project. 

10 
History of the Project 

Five Demonstration Sites 

The five sites tht becme the centerpiece of HSS were selected through  competitive process. They were 

chrged with developing models tht hd the potentil to become promising prctices for recruiting nd hiring lw 

enforcement cndidtes who hve  strong community service orienttion. The criteri for selection included the 

following: 

•	 First nd foremost, there needed to be  strong commitment to the community policing philosophy. 

•	 Potentil site cndidtes lso needed to be engged in n ongoing recruitment process wherein there 

ws n vilble pplicnt pool to fill open positions. 

•	 They needed to be willing to djust n existing multiphsed recruitment nd selection strtegy. 

•	 They needed to hve collected bseline dt in erlier selection efforts so tht they could ssess the 

impct of HSS. 

•	 Most criticl ws their willingness to include the community in the hiring process nd  concurrence 

tht this involvement would mount to considerbly more thn pssive prticiption. 

•	 An dded requirement ws n bsence of current litigtion involving hiring prctices. 

•	 Finlly, the lw enforcement chief executive officer (CEO) nd locl governing body needed to be 

willing to ccept the monitoring processes developed by the CPC. 

At the outset, it ws greed tht the site smple should be representtive of the ntionl spectrum of lw 

enforcement gencies nd include both police deprtments nd sheriffs’ gencies. Although numerous sites 

expressed interest in being considered for funding, their interest diminished when they lerned tht the project 

plns clled for more thn tweking current systems. Also, some felt they were unble to devote the resources 

tht would be needed to bring the project to completion. Others were uncertin becuse of concerns bout 

collective brgining greements, nd still others were not prepred to tke on the required level of community 

enggement. Consequently, though numerous sites competed, for vrying resons mny were unble to stisfy 

ll criteri. 

The five sites tht met the CPC criteri nd were selected to prticipte included the following three police 

deprtments nd two sheriff’s gencies: 

•	 Scrmento Police Deprtment, Scrmento, Cliforni 

•	 Burlington Police Deprtment, Burlington, Vermont 

•	 Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County, Florid 

•	 City of Detroit Police Deprtment, Detroit, Michign 

•	 King County Sheriff’s Office, King County, Wshington 

As it turned out, meeting the selection criteri ws the first of severl chllenges encountered by these five 

sites in wht cme to be  very complex project. Others included stisfying the requirements of n Institutionl 

Review Bord, confronting  rnge of professionl issues reltive to the use of vlid ssessment tools for 

pplicnt screening, ledership chnges in the CEO position in ech gency, nd ccomplishing objectives 

within the timelines specified by the grnt. 

11 
History of the Project 

HSS Initial Project Objectives 

Five project objectives frmed the tsk for the CPC nd becme the ground rules for site prticiption. The 

five objectives re s follows: 

1. Identify methods of service-oriented recruitment nd selection for use in the field. 

2. Modify existing screening processes or develop new screening techniques tht re comptible with the 

HSS mission. 

3. Identify methods to ensure tht elements of the screening process such s orl interviews, bckground 

informtion, nd occuptionl nd psychologicl testing re cpble of identifying service-oriented 

cndidtes. 

4. Engge the community to ssist in these efforts. 

5. Field-test revised processes in the selected lw enforcement gencies. 

These objectives re comptible with the interests of community policing, the orgnizing philosophy of both 

the COPS Office nd the CPC. Further, they bring community policing vlues nd expecttions directly into 

the recruitment nd selection process. Finlly, they support the cpcity for officers nd deputies to engge in 

problem-solving methods nd collborte with citizens to effectively deter crime nd improve the qulity of 

life in their communities. 

These objectives lso endorse  chnge in direction tht hs implictions for the multiple-hurdle selection 

strtegies, the methods trditionlly used in the hiring of incident-driven, rective lw enforcement officers. 

Rther thn bse selection decisions on  cndidte’s bility to pss successive phses of the process, 

“jumping the hurdles,” so to spek, they cll for shifting to  strtegy tht provides  brod-bsed perspective 

of ech cndidte. More recently referred to s the whole-person strtegy pre–employment ssessment, this 

perspective is criticl to ensuring tht those hired cn dvnce the mission nd vlues of the deprtment while 

respecting the civil liberties of others. This emphsis lso opens the door for introducing other chnges into 

the police humn resource system including, but not limited to, chnges in trining, field trining officer 

experiences, nd modifictions to performnce pprisls s well s to criteri used in promotionl systems. 

As will be noted throughout this report, the CPC met multiple chllenges to ccomplish the HSS objectives 

tht culminted in the field testing of innovtive recruitment nd selection strtegies. Further, it shows how 

building community involvement into the project ws criticl to ensuring long-lsting effects. The ltter 

goes fr beyond lip service, dding cosmetic vlue to existing procedures, or engging citizens in  role tht 

primrily is pssive in nture. Rther, the five sites, in vrying degrees, hve committed to institutionlizing 

community involvement in recruiting nd hiring prctices to chieve the spirit of service objectives. 

12 

Chapter Two 

Overview of Law 

Enforcement 

Selection History 
Overview of Law Enforement Selection History 

Overview of Law Enforcement Selection History 

Brief History of Recruiting and Selecting Police Candidates 

At the outset of the project, the Community Policing Consortium (CPC) cknowledged the 

impressive history tht resulted in substntive improvements in how lw enforcement selected 

officers nd deputies. Over time, recruiting nd selecting lw enforcement cndidtes hd 

become decidedly more professionl s gencies encted the recommendtions of prominent lw 

enforcement commissions. They lso benefited from the dvent of the 1967 Lw Enforcement 

Assistnce Administrtion (LEAA) with LEAA funds clerly supporting the dvncement of lw 

enforcement selection prctices. Collterlly, the Equl Employment Opportunity Commission 

nd ffirmtive ction gols becme instrumentl in improving selection processes. They required 

public employment selection methods to be job-relevnt, vlid predictors of performnce, nd free 

of bis nd dverse impct on protected clsses. The ltter issues becme prticulrly importnt 

when psychologicl ssessments were introduced into lw enforcement selection becuse of fir 

employment nd professionl prctice requirements for demonstrting the relibility, vlidity, nd 

job-reltedness of the psychologicl ssessment tools. 

Despite these progressive chnges, rguments remin tody tht pertin to the extensive focus on 

hiring officers nd deputies who re interested in the dventure side of the job, in contrst to those 

who re service oriented. An dventure orienttion cn be chrcterized s over-emphsizing the 

prt of the job tht involves chsing nd ctching bd guys, engging in hot pursuits, kicking in 

doors, or resorting to intimidtion s  wy to mintin the edge nd keep pece in the community. 

Inevitbly, this orienttion produces  distncing from the community nd cretes negtive 

stereotypes tht result in the ll too fmilir we-they syndrome. In contrst,  service orienttion 

blnces enforcement ctivities nd good police work with humne cring for the community nd 

vlues prevention nd trusting reltionships s  mens to solving problems nd controlling crime. 

These reltionships build through the myrid dy-to-dy ctivities tht position the officer to be 

seen s  trusted prtner committed to keeping pece nd order in the community nd protecting 

citizens. 

As erly s 1977, Hermn Goldstein observed tht more of  police officer’s time ws spent in 

service-relted ctivities thn time devoted to enforcement,  fct subsequently confirmed by 

mny reserchers. 

1 Trditionl recruitment nd hiring prctices, however, hve used models 

tht emphsize  strong focus on enforcement cpbilities. Notwithstnding the criticlity of 

enforcement responsibilities nd the need to mintin such in the hiring eqution, it is eqully 

importnt to understnd the chrcteristics nd job-relted behviors tht ttch to the service 

orienttion. The widespred cceptnce of, nd dpttion to, the community policing model 

intensifies the need for  better understnding of wht constitutes community policing behvior 

nd  service orienttion. 

1. For more 

informtion bout 

this plese see 

Hermn Goldstein’s 

book Policing  Free 

Society, (Cmbridge, 

MA: Bllinger 

Publishing Compny), 

1977, p. 77. 

15 
Overview of Law Enforement Selection History 

Other rguments pertin to the long-stnding prctice of selecting out cndidtes, rther thn selecting in, 

nd to the use of the multiple-hurdle pproch to selection. There is extensive literture on the differences in 

these selection methodologies. Briefly, nd for the purposes of this report, selecting out implies  serch for 

flws or indictors, whether cognitive, behviorl, or psychologicl, tht flg tht something is wrong with 

the cndidte. Tht “something” disqulifies cndidtes nd precludes their opportunity to move through the 

other selection hurdles. A common criticism of this pproch suggests tht selected-out cndidtes never get 

 chnce to perform in the job, therefore, there is no opportunity to evlute if they were selected out for the 

right resons. In contrst, selecting in looks t wht is right with the cndidte, how he or she meets the criteri 

tht the deprtment is seeking, nd evlutes his or her potentil for effective job performnce. Subsequently, 

if terminted from employment, it is becuse of filure in job performnce. Performnce filures cn thn be 

evluted within the context of the officer or deputy’s overll pre–employment ssessment results, thereby 

strengthening the cse for vlid nonselect decisions of future cndidtes. 

The multiple-hurdle pproch drives  screening out process. In this model, cndidtes re pssed from one 

screening hurdle to the next nd cn be screened out in ny phse of the process. Flexibility is somewht 

limited nd the process precludes the development of  comprehensive ssessment of  cndidte’s cpcity to 

fulfill ll elements of the policing role. 

Selecting out through multiple hurdles becme the method of choice when police selection systems were 

seeking cndidtes to perform  rective nd ction-oriented police role. In mny respects it remins the 

method of choice tody. Complictions, however, were introduced s community policing becme the 

predominnt policing philosophy. Grdully, it ws recognized tht  shift in emphsis ws needed to select 

cndidtes who blnced  strong service orienttion with the requisite skills to engge the community 

in proctive problem solving to chieve public sfety. Moreover, it becme incresingly pprent tht the 

recruitment nd selection models tht were linked exclusively to  commnd-nd-control mode of policing 

were outdted becuse they did not ccommodte the emphsis on community policing. 

It ws within this frmework tht the CPC sought to introduce significnt chnge. The CPC ws fully 

cogniznt tht even the best recruitment nd selection strtegies cn not sustin high performnce indefinitely 

or override other fctors tht influence performnce in the course of  lw enforcement creer. And, the CPC 

lso cknowledged the inherent chllenge in ny effort to modify existing selection prctices tht hd been 

developed to stndrdize hiring prctices nd ensure tht they were fir, equitble, nd job relted. Clerly, no 

one would be eger to tmper with wht lw enforcement did well in recruitment nd hiring. The prospect of 

modifying nd/or supplementing systems, however, ws not out of the question, provided tht the sme level of 

rigor ws pplied to wht hd become stndrd operting procedures in selection models. 

Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS), therefore, sought to build on the substntil history of lw enforcement 

selection nd to introduce  new chpter to selection history tht would incorporte innovtions tht meet the 

demnds of tody’s environment. These innovtions re consistent with how policing is chnging nd reflect 

the influences of community policing. 

However, they lso hve implictions for preserving homelnd security in tht community policing officers 

re becoming the first responders nd preventors in the nti-terrorism environment. As such, HSS represents 

 mjor chnge effort tht is endemic to wht the CPC, in prtnership with the COPS Office, sought to 

ccomplish. Accordingly, it cme t  time when police nd sheriffs were building their gencies through the 

substntil infusions of new officers nd deputies dedicted to community policing, nd it represents  much 

needed turning point for innovtion in recruitment nd hiring. 

16 
Overview of Law Enforement Selection History 

100,000 New Cops on the Beat 

Following pssge of the lndmrk Violent Crime Control nd Lw Enforcement Act of 

1994, 

2 there ws n unprecedented level of support to hire community policing officers. 

Funding ws distributed through the COPS Office,  venue tht lso helped the lw 

enforcement community lern more bout effective community policing. However, s 

the COPS Office focus begn to chnge from  primry gol of meeting hiring numbers, 

questions emerged bout the kind of officer who would be needed to implement the 

community policing role effectively. Concurrently, reserch studies of community 

policing lso begn to suggest tht community policing my require different skill sets 

tht re more cognitively complex nd require  strong emphsis on the criticl thinking 

tht is centrl to problem solving. It ws only  mtter of time before the question ws 

rised bout whether selection models tht hired officers entrenched in the rective mode 

could ccomplish the gols of community policing or were t cross purposes with wht  

deprtment committed to community policing ws trying to chieve. 

In this regrd, community policing requires greter working collbortion with the 

community nd clls on officers nd deputies to blnce their enforcement role with 

tht of becoming fcilittors with other locl government gencies, nd with citizens, to 

chieve the crime-control mission. This emphsis is believed to produce less of the wethey syndrome s officers begin to perceive citizens s consumers nd s coproducers 

of public sfety, nd/or s prtners tking n ctive role to improve the qulity of life in 

their geogrphicl bets. As  result, officers gther informtion from citizen prtners, 

lern to be more nlyticl, nd use dt nd informtion to shpe their responses to 

prevlent crime problems tht now include  homelnd security emphsis. Moreover, 

they use technology s  crime-fighting tool with methodologies such s crime mpping 

nd informtion-shring enterprise systems becoming more routine. Overll, these trends 

re creting substntive chnges in how Americn lw enforcement officers conduct 

business nd these chnges re reverberting throughout other components of the lw 

enforcement system, not the lest of which is chnging how officers nd deputies re 

recruited nd selected. 

2. The COPS Office 

ws creted s  result 

of the Violent Crime 

Control nd Lw 

Enforcement Act of 

1994. As  component 

of the Justice 

Deprtment, the 

mission of the COPS 

Office is to advance 

community policing 

in jurisdictions of 

ll sizes cross the 

country. COPS hs 

invested $11.9 billion 

to dd community 

policing officers to 

the ntion’s streets 

nd schools, enhnce 

crime-fighting 

technology, support 

crime prevention 

inititives, nd 

provide trining nd 

technicl ssistnce to 

dvnce community 

policing. 

Objective of HSS as a Major Change Effect 

The chnges detiled in the previous section were the foundtion of the HSS project. 

However, becuse of the inherent difficulties in chieving this level of comprehensive 

chnge, the CPC required the identified sites to focus their efforts on five distinct trget 

res. The five trget res re s follows: 

•	 Recruiting nd mrketing which included the development of n gency brnd 

or imge 

•	 Engging the community in recruiting nd hiring 

•	 Revising selection models including occuptionl screening 

•	 Revising selection models including psychologicl testing 

•	 Institutionlizing  rnge of new hiring prctices tht reflect  rediness to 

ccept chnge. 

17 
Overview of Law Enforement Selection History 

HSS Implementation Strategies 

From the outset, the CPC recognized the criticlity of the need for consistent buy-in from ll stkeholders. 

Consequently, severl project modifictions becme necessry, including some chnges in the sites originlly 

identified for prticiption in the project. In seeking to revitlize  recruitment nd selection culture tht hd 

been widely ccepted, even if somewht rigid nd driven by civil service requirements, the CPC knew full 

well tht this would not be  simple tsk. Thus, it determined to provide  strong level of project mngement 

to improve the chnces of chnging recruitment nd selection strtegies while lso integrting them into 

trditionl prctices tht hd been ccepted, even if somewht flwed. Further, while cknowledging wht hd 

become well-developed prmeters inherent to n existing selection culture, other issues would need to be 

ddressed tht could influence implementtion nd possibly impede project completion. These issues re s 

follows: 

•	 The literture on police recruitment nd selection ws somewht sprse, in contrst to wht ws 

vilble in the industril psychology ren, nd n emphsis on community policing ws virtully 

nonexistent in the literture. The CPC, therefore, commissioned Lett Hough, Ph.D., of the Dunnette 

Group, to review existing literture for its relevnce to community policing. Her thorough review 

concluded tht there ws relevnt literture on predicting performnce in non–lw enforcement jobs 

tht hve performnce dimensions similr to those required by community policing. She contended 

tht this informtion, prticulrly s it reltes to vlid predictors, could be expected to pply generlly 

to community policing. Moreover, her review presented  wide rnge of promising selection mesures 

tht could be considered in the HSS project. 

•	 Given the nture of the project nd the reserch component involving the use of humn subjects in lw 

enforcement selection, the CPC determined tht n Institutionl Review Bord (IRB) process would 

be required. The introduction of the IRB precluded some of the sites from meeting their timetbles 

becuse of the delys inherent in the review process nd the project hd to be extended beyond the 

originl timetble. Conversely, however, the introduction of the IRB ensured tht the project would be 

ccomplished within the frmework of cceptble reserch prctices. 

•	 Since mny of the sites were engged in rrngements tht involved using commercil tests nd 

contrctul vendors, there ws less flexibility in modifying proprietry products. These products hd 

been subjected to rigorous vlidtion studies, s required by professionl stndrds of the testing 

industry, nd were not subject to mnipultion. 

•	 Any chnge in selection procedures, prticulrly those used in public employment, require the 

concurrence of multiple stkeholders. Even when locl government concurred, there remined the 

issue of chieving internl buy-in t ech selected site. 

•	 At the outset, it ws cknowledged tht the ledership nd support of the lw enforcement chief 

executive officer (CEO) would be criticl to the success of the project. Midwy through the project, 

three of the five sites experienced  chnge in the chief executive of the gency. As with ny gency 

experiencing trnsition to new ledership, difficulties in meeting predetermined schedules could be 

expected to influence implementtion. The incoming CEO hd to be fully briefed on the project to 

ensure tht full prticiption in the project would continue nd tht the sme level of commitment nd 

coopertion would be forthcoming. As n side, by the conclusion of the project, ll five sites hd new 

CEOs. 

18 
Overview of Law Enforement Selection History 

•	 Shortly fter initil project plns were developed, the United Sttes experienced the unprecedented 

ssult of September 11, 2001. This ctstrophic event ffected implementtion of the plns. 

Accordingly, some prospective sites were subject to militry cll-ups while others experienced resource 

drins brought bout by n immedite shift in mission. As such, there were concerns bout hving 

dequte resources to complete the project nd to fulfill the rigorous criteri developed by the CPC. An 

dded concern ws the question of whether community policing efforts would lose ground following 

the events of 9/11. Rther thn rush to  hsty conclusion, the CPC elected to llow sites the needed 

time to bsorb the impct of these criticl chnges. This proved to be  wise decision, prticulrly in 

light of the concern bout the continued impct of community policing, becuse it soon becme cler 

tht community policing could ply  criticl role in the efforts to ensure homelnd security. 

19 
Chapter Three 

Case Studies 
Case Studies 

Selecting and Supporting Demonstration Sites 

The Community Policing Consortium (CPC) ws cutely wre of the potentil impediments to completing such  

comprehensive project; therefore, it built in  rnge of sfegurds to ensure completion of the project. The CPC lso 

provided technicl ssistnce to support the selected sites in chieving their gols. 

•	 The CPC prtners provided dt-driven resources to ech site in the form of findings from preliminry reserch 

conducted on the five selection elements tht were the core of the project. Ech CPC prtner ws responsible 

for providing  review of bseline reserch for one of the core elements of the project, nd to provide ech site 

with the previously referenced comprehensive nlysis by Dr. Lett Hough. 

•	 The CPC prtners lso provided ech site with  CPC project mnger who mde periodic site visits, reviewed 

the required monthly progress reports, nd provided ongoing feedbck. They becme site chmpions nd 

fielded multiple issues reltive to federl funding nd contrctul concerns. 

•	 The CPC prtners encourged the sites to form steering committees with diverse nd multidisciplinry 

expertise tht would inform nd guide the project. The committees were envisioned s building  cpcity 

for bringing fresh ides to recruitment nd hiring nd to encourging innovtive prctices tht would enhnce 

diversity. 

•	 The CPC prtners convened  series of site prticipnt roundtbles throughout the life of the project. These 

meetings served s  forum for reffirming project guidelines nd reviewing sttus reports. They lso presented 

n opportunity for sites to shre common problems nd frustrtions ssocited with the project. 

•	 The roundtbles lso provided the opportunity for sites to report on their successes nd for the CPC to 

identify common issues tht needed follow-up. The forums highlighted chievements of the individul sites 

nd cknowledged group issues, thereby creting  level of cohesiveness cross sites. Further, through the 

roundtbles the sites developed the cpcity to lern from ech other nd culminted in the development of  

network of lw enforcement gencies tht were engged in recruitment nd selection innovtions. 

•	 The sites were supported nd encourged to deliver presenttions of their work in progress t ntionl lw 

enforcement meetings. The meetings helped them meet estblished short-term gols nd mintined the level 

of momentum tht ws necessry to keep the project moving forwrd. Prticiption in these meetings provided 

the sites with opportunities for invluble peer feedbck. 

In summry, these ctivities were centrl to ensuring tht the project moved towrd completion nd tht the sites 

met their stted gols. Despite this ssistnce, ll sites encountered difficulties in completing ll tsks relted to their 

proposed ctivities within the originl time frme of the grnt. Consequently, two no-cost grnt extensions were required 

becuse of the complexity of the project s well s the unforeseen interruptions of project ctivities. 

21 
Case Studies 

Case Studies of Sites: Real-World Stories 

Wht follows summrizes the experiences nd lessons lerned by the five police or sheriff deprtments tht prticipted 

in Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS). Their stories show the rel-world struggles tht promoted their prticiption, the 

chllenges they encountered long the wy, how they met these chllenges, s well s the brriers to implementing their 

projects. More pointedly, their experiences tell the story of innovtion nd chnge in trditionl recruitment nd hiring 

prctices. 

Sacramento Police Department—A Call to Serve 

“It could not hve come t  better time,” sid Smnth Brinkley, when referring to the 

Scrmento (Cliforni) Police Deprtment’s HSS project. As director of personnel for the 

police deprtment nd HSS project director, Ms. Brinkley ws well wre of two interrelted 

issues ffecting the deprtment. One, the police deprtment ws struggling to mintin the 

credibility of its community policing efforts; nd second, looming just round the corner 

ws the thret of wholesle retirements of the genertion of officers who were hired fter 

they returned from serving in Vietnm. In ddition, Cliforni’s severe budget problems 

were clerly  problem for the stte cpitl where policing encounters its own set of unique 

chllenges. 

Given these conditions, there were serious concerns bout the deprtment’s cpcity to 

mintin sworn strength. Morle in the deprtment ws low, officers were discourged bout 

hving to pick up the slck, nd  rsh of medi ccounts fnned union concerns bout 

the potentil for unfulfilled contrctul obligtions. The HSS inititive emerged mid this 

tmosphere of pprehension nd with it cme A Cll to Serve. 

Chnging recruitment nd hiring ws something of  se chnge for Scrmento becuse it hd 

been firly trdition-bound in its recruitment nd selection prctices. The police deprtment 

hd relied on time-honored pproches, prticulrly for recruiting. These trditionl prctices 

chnged drmticlly both by  full-fledged wrd-winning dvertising cmpign mde 

possible by HSS (Employment Mngement Assocition’s Merit Awrd for Full Pge 

Cmpign),3 nd by the inclusion of community members s n integrl prt of the process. 

Beyond selecting cndidtes, other chnges were forthcoming in the deprtment nd in the end 

more thn recruiting nd hiring hd chnged. Morle of tenured officers improved s the HSSfunded medi cmpign helped to restore pride in how the Scrmento officers perceived their 

chllenging role in the community. Officers begn to view the results of HSS with  certin 

mount of pride, seeing it s recognition of their professionlism nd  vlidtion of wht they 

re seeking to ccomplish s they go bout doing  difficult job from dy to dy. 

3 A series of the 

“A Cll to Serve” 

ds received the 

Employment 

Mngement 

Assocition’s 

Merit Awrd for Full 

Pge Blck nd White 

Cmpign. 

History of the Project 

Trining nd deployment of the specilized units begn in ernest in 1993 through 1995. Arturo 

Venegs (Ret.), the former Scrmento police chief, lunched the deprtment’s involvement 

in the project nd sought to hve the deprtment considered s  pilot-testing site for HSS. At 

the outset, he sw HSS s n opportunity to evlute Scrmento’s hiring prctices within the 

context of community policing. Following his retirement, the project ws endorsed by current 

Chief Albert Nájer, nd it continued to enjoy strong support. 

22 
Case Studies 

Chief Nájer sw the project s intrictely relted to the deprtment’s mission nd vlues. Under his direction, 

the project becme  dynmic influence throughout the deprtment nd it helped the deprtment succeed in 

identifying service-oriented trits for police officers nd in modifying selection prctices so tht they were 

consistent with those trits. Further, his support helped in responding to dministrtive delys nd to extending 

the project beyond the initil pln, thereby opening new doors for HSS in the Scrmento Police Deprtment. 

By the conclusion of the project, the service messge hd expnded beyond recruitment nd hiring nd hd 

been incorported into trining, evlution, promotions, nd internl/externl communiction. Collterlly, 

Scrmento cme to refer to HSS s “the wy we do business.” 

Steering Committee 

At the outset of the project, the Scrmento Police Deprtment orgnized  steering committee tht would 

be responsible for providing oversight nd guidnce throughout the project. The membership included 

representtion from the police deprtment, city Humn Resources nd Risk Mngement, occuptionl nd 

clinicl psychologists, community representtives, nd members of the Cliforni Commission on Pece 

Officer Stndrds nd Trining (POST). This comprehensive group lso included the vendors nd consultnts 

involved in the project s well s representtives from the union who were invited to prticipte. The bredth 

of expertise nd diversity of bckground represented on the Steering Committee provided  collbortive 

frmework for providing input, direction, nd review throughout the life of the project. As such, it could be 

considered s  model for problem solving in projects of this nture in tht the prtnerships represented mirror 

the gols of community policing. 

Project Goals 

The Scrmento Police Deprtment sought to crete mjor chnges in recruitment nd hiring by ddressing four 

criticl functions: 

•	 Recruitment nd community outrech 

•	 Occuptionl screening 

•	 Psychologicl testing 

•	 Institutionlizing chnge through revised policies, procedures, nd longitudinl vlidtion of hiring 

processes 

Use of Focus Groups: 

Recruitment, Community Outreach, and Marketing
 

Scrmento relied hevily on focus groups to chieve project gols. In contrst to open-ended discussion 

groups, however, their focus groups hd n pplied reserch orienttion tht ws used effectively to ddress 

recruitment, community outrech nd mrketing inititives. 

Recruitment and community outreach: The Scrmento Police Deprtment set out to ttrct police cndidtes 

with strong histories of giving bck to their communities nd hd  prticulr interest in cndidtes who were 

involved in community nd volunteer ctivities. However, they lso sought to ensure greter diversity in their 

pplicnt pool. Hence, they invited the focus group prticiption of citizens who hd n edge in minority 

communities, including vocl community dvoctes. These citizens initilly were involved in the deprtment’s 

recruitment nd hiring processes s prticipnts in the focus group reserch led by Insight Reserch, Inc., 

 mrketing compny tht helped the groups brinstorm ides nd identify service-oriented trits. These 

discussions were structured round behviorl dimensions identified by the Cliforni POST (see Appendix A) 

23 
Case Studies 

which becme the reserch protocol for collecting dt on service-oriented trits in  consistent nd uniform 

mnner. This protocol ws used with ll focus groups. 

One focus group ws comprised of officers while three other groups were composed of citizens. In ddition 

to consensul greement on the service-oriented trits reflected in the behviorl dimensions, ll reched the 

conclusion tht the deprtment ws understffed, under–funded, in need of trining, nd experiencing morle 

problems. 

Three dditionl sworn focus groups were convened to counterblnce wht ws initilly limited involvement 

of sworn prticiption, nd to ensure dequte representtion from the deprtment. These groups were 

identified s “brnding” groups nd were designed to generte informtion tht would shpe  mrketing 

messge reflective of service-oriented trits. 

Much lter in the project,  seprte set of focus groups were estblished to ssess specific concerns of femle 

nd minority employees. These groups were developed in response to the reliztion within the deprtment tht 

they needed to do more to improve their success rte in recruiting  diverse pplicnt pool. Recommendtions 

from this ltter group included dispelling negtive imges of police officers, recruiting young, erly, nd 

repetedly, nd creting diverse imges in the dvertising while lso communicting  “you cn do it” ttitude 

(see Appendix B for the report). 

The community focus groups were composed of community leders who represented neighborhood nd 

community orgniztions, minority group orgniztions, nd business owners. All were pid  $50 stipend to 

prticipte. This fctor ws seen s responsible for the 100 percent show rte, n experience tht ws quite 

unlike tht of the sites tht did not py  stipend. However, since ll prticipnts were seen s fns of the 

deprtment, the police deprtment subsequently questioned if the perception of service-oriented trits would 

hve been different hd they enlisted those who were not fns. In ll likelihood, the structure provided by using 

the Cliforni POST behviorl dimensions s guidelines for discussion my hve overridden this concern, but 

t this point it remins n unknown (see Appendix C for focus group discussion guidelines). 

Notwithstnding the bove concern, the results of the focus groups were instrumentl in revising selection 

processes to include  formlized recruitment pln. Subsequently, community members were invited to 

prticipte s members of police cdet orl interview pnels nd these pnels re now convened routinely. 

They consist of one community member nd two sworn personnel per pnel nd ll pnel members hve n 

opportunity to question nd independently rte ech cndidte for the ptrol position. Despite some initil 

trepidtion bout working together, the experience proved to be fruitful s sworn officers begn to see vlue 

in community input. Moreover, the cndidte rtings by trined citizens re remrkbly similr to those of 

the sworn pnel members. Given this success, the deprtment now includes community members on police 

sergent pprisl orl bords. Finlly, the results of the focus groups substntilly influenced other deprtment 

functions nd their impct ws decidedly strong in rriving t the decision on how the deprtment would 

mrket itself. 

Marketing the Image: A highly effective outrech strtegy involved mrketing n imge tht would drw 

service-oriented cndidtes. Insight Reserch worked with the focus groups nd collected dt on serviceoriented trits by hving focus group prticipnts respond to  questionnire contining  rnge of items bout 

community policing. Informtion distilled from ll groups identified the desired trits s follows: integrity, 

honesty, wisdom, empthy, ptience, communiction skills, strong work ethic, nd dptbility. 

The groups did not believe tht these trits were dequtely represented in the existing print or television 

dvertisements used by Scrmento. Also, they did not feel tht service or diversity, including non-stereotypicl 

24 
Case Studies 

roles for women, were emphsized. Consequently, they clled for substntive chnge in the imge tht the 

deprtment presented to potentil recruits nd to the community. 

Given tht feedbck, the mrketing firm used the identified trits to develop the messge tht best described 

wht focus group prticipnts defined s importnt to portry to the community. The results were  series 

of mjor themes tht defined core vlues embedded in the service-oriented trits. They included courge, 

involvement, compssion, dediction, commitment, integrity, nd communiction. These themes then drove 

the mrketing group’s recruiting cmpign. However, the focus groups rejected the first offering from the 

mrketing firm tht portryed the officers in the deprtment s heroes through the messge, So Many Ways to 

be a Hero. All hd concerns tht the hero theme would be perceived s over-used nd of less relevnce to the 

concept of service orienttion. The officers, in prticulr, expressed the concern tht it did not cpture their 

motivtion to join the deprtment. Rther, they supported  messge conveying tht lw enforcement ws  

clling to mke  difference. Thus, A Call to Serve ws born. 

A Call to Serve hs become the Scrmento Police Deprtment’s brnd nd is now t the hert of  multimedi 

dvertising cmpign tht received the Employment Mngement Assocition’s Merit Award for Full Page 

Campaign. Tht messge is the led on ll recruiting mterils including brochures,  video, recruiting 

booths, billbords, n Above nd Beyond television series, nd  new web site. In ll products, these key 

words reinforce wht the police deprtment is looking for in its employees. This reinforcement is prticulrly 

importnt for the updted web site, n integrl prt of the recruitment strtegy, becuse initil reserch 

demonstrted tht 60 percent of cndidtes typiclly lerned bout the deprtment nd hiring opportunities from 

the web site. As of this writing, tht figure pproched 70 percent. 

At the conclusion of the project, the Scrmento Police Deprtment ws compiling sttistics to identify its 

most effective recruiting methods nd ws rolling out  Community Recruiter Progrm. The progrm will 

trin community leders to recruit qulified police cndidtes from neighborhood nd business ssocitions, 

fith-bsed nd eductionl institutions, nd ethnic community groups. The gol of the Community Recruiter 

Progrm is to provide  more personlized style of recruiting to ttrct nd hire diverse cndidtes who reflect 

the city’s demogrphics. By incresing diversity in hiring, it is believed tht reltionships with the community 

will be enhnced. Collterlly, Scrmento is developing  series of mnuls for cndidtes tht will ddress 

issues in orl exmintions nd in the pre–employment psychologicl ssessment; they re lso prepring  

writing skills ssessment video. 

The Scrmento Police Deprtment is  cler exmple of how community outrech strted with bsic focus 

group reserch to identify service-oriented trits but then becme entrenched in other significnt recruitment 

nd hiring processes. 

Occupational screening: The Scrmento Police Deprtment undertook  full exmintion of its occuptionl 

screening processes to determine which elements could be modified to incorporte the service orienttion. 

Interest cme t  fortuitous time becuse the Cliforni POST ws reexmining dimensions of the lw 

enforcement job throughout the stte nd ws seeking to incorporte occuptionl prmeters relevnt to 

community policing into the job description nd stte requirements for testing processes. The Scrmento 

Police Deprtment initited involvement with the POST t the outset of the project nd project stff 

prticipted in the working groups convened to dvnce the POST project nd were represented on the POST 

Orl Interview Advisory Committee. 

The POST hd conducted job nlysis reserch on the position of pece officer in Cliforni. The reserch 

resulted in formulting the dimensions tht defined vrious components of the selection process, including 

25 
Case Studies 

behviorl job dimensions, psychologicl screening dimensions, nd orl interview fctors. The POST 

behviorl job dimensions were used s  frmework for the focus groups tht the police deprtment convened 

nd were used to promote discussion on  rnge of service-oriented behviors. These behviors included 

communiction skills, problem-solving bility, lerning bility, judgment under pressure, observtion skills, 

willingness to confront problems, interest in people, interpersonl sensitivity, desire for self improvement, 

ppernce, dependbility, physicl bility, integrity, opertion of  motor vehicle, nd credibility s  witness 

in court. 

There is some overlp between the behviorl job dimensions nd the POST orl interview fctors. The ltter 

were rted by citizens nd officers in terms of importnce for trgeting in the orl interviews nd greed upon 

trgets re s follows: experience, problem solving, communiction skills, interest nd motivtion, interpersonl 

skills, community involvement, nd wreness. Subsequently, these fctors were incorported into the 

stndrdized orl interview component of the ssessment process. This effort will be substntilly fcilitted 

by n orl interview exmintion mnul to guide the process nd  four-minute video on how to use orl 

interviews, both of which re being developed by the POST. 

Severl stte occuptionl processes hd been stndrdized throughout the stte nd could not be chnged. 

Therefore, Scrmento elected to ssist cndidtes by developing tools to supplement these occuptionl 

components, such s n exmintion preprtion guide, orienttion workshops, nd  video on ssessing writing 

skills. The police deprtment lso worked with the stte nd city to provide cndidtes with opportunities to 

retke the POST written exm. Further, they revised the eductionl requirements for  newly creted police 

recruit trining clssifiction—the police recruit, which differs from the trditionl police cdet position. In this 

progrm, police recruits must be 18 yers old nd will be required to ttend college while working prt-time 

for the deprtment in  non-sworn position until they re redy to ttend the police cdemy. At tht time they 

will be upgrded to the position of police cdet. Modifying these elements required extensive coordintion 

with the city’s Humn Resources deprtment, s did revising other process benchmrks tht were considered 

unresonble, such s wll climbs on the physicl gility test nd trigger pulls for femle cndidtes. With the 

help of Humn Resources, those benchmrks eventully were either eliminted or modified substntively nd 

the chnges culminted in n greement to provide cndidtes with n opportunity for retesting. 

An outgrowth of HSS tht is clerly linked to occuptionl screening hs been the development of  mentoring 

progrm tht positions deprtment stff, prticulrly those ssigned to recruiting, to become more involved with 

cndidtes throughout the selection nd trining processes. Within this context, peer support groups re initited 

during the hiring process nd continue while the recruit is in the cdemy nd throughout the probtionry 

yer. These groups cknowledge vrible fmily situtions nd ttempt to keep single officers nd mrried 

officers in independent groups to ensure tht there is comfort in ddressing unique personl djustment needs. 

The gol of this progrm is focused on retining the new recruits nd helping them, nd their fmilies, djust 

to the demnds of the lw enforcement creer. As n dditionl mesure to meet retention gols, the police 

deprtment is pying the costs for prospective pplicnts to ttend orienttion clsses t the community college 

nd hs modified entry level eductionl requirements for the new police cdet clssifiction of recruits. 

In  different venue, Scrmento lso proposes to develop  police officer job performnce evlution tht will 

include community input. The system under development is bsed on the 360o Performnce Evlution System 

Design, which hs been used in the privte sector (see Appendix D). Using this type of model, performnce 

rtings re gthered from  rnge of sources rther thn relying only on  unitry performnce rting from  

single supervisor. As such, the 360o evlution model gthers performnce dt from those fmilir with the 

individul’s performnce, including peers, nd lso incorportes dministrtive informtion into the rting 

ensuring tht  brod rnge of informtion is included in the pprisl. In the cse of Scrmento,  very 

26 
Case Studies 

unique function will be the integrtion of informtion from the community into the performnce evlutions 

of officers. They lso re developing  mnul tht will provide guidelines for using this form of performnce 

pprisls for police officers. 

Psychological screening: Throughout the course of the project, the psychologicl screening dimensions 

developed by the POST lso were under review. The current itertion of psychologicl dimensions includes 

socil competence, cpcity for temwork, dptbility-flexibility, conscientiousness, dependbility, impulse 

control, ttention to sfety, integrity, emotionl regultion nd stress tolernce, decision mking nd judgment, 

ssertiveness, persusiveness, nd voiding substnce buse nd other risk tking behviors. Ech dimension 

is defined nd exmples of positive nd counterproductive behviors re provided. Current consensus is tht 

these dimensions my be more ccurtely ssessed by responses to psychologicl evlutions insted of citizen 

interviews. 

Initilly, Scrmento hd proposed to conduct psychologicl testing reserch on the two psychologicl tests 

currently dministered to cndidtes (MMPI-2 nd CPI) nd to exmine  new group of tests developed 

by Hilson Reserch using  smple of cdemy recruits. The deprtment ws precluded from completing 

this reserch within the initil time frme of the grnt becuse of Institutionl Review Bord requirements. 

Subsequently, the deprtment eliminted ll empiricl nlyses of psychologicl tests nd concluded tht the 

psychologicl dimensions identified by POST should be evluted by  licensed clinicl psychologist fter  

conditionl job offer hs been presented to the cndidte. 

By the conclusion of the project, the Scrmento Police Deprtment ws completing its Police Cdet 

Psychologicl Screening Mnul tht drws on recent psychologicl reserch s well s findings from other 

HSS sites. The deprtment plns to give tht mnul to ll contrct psychologists who provide psychologicl 

screening of their pplicnts nd to incorporte it into future requests for proposls (RFP). In contrst to the 

issues tht precluded psychologicl test reserch, there ws less difficulty in incorporting the POST Orl 

Interview Fctors into the orl bord component. This component will be significnt to selecting cndidtes 

who re people-oriented recruits who strive to serve the community nd who will derive enjoyment from their 

jobs. 

Institutionalizing change: The Scrmento Police Deprtment incresed its probbility of institutionlizing 

HSS by combining the trits identified in the HSS project with the POST behviorl dimensions nd the 

360o performnce evlution model. These chnges re ccompnied by collterl modifictions in policies 

nd procedures including use of the community s recruiters through the Community Recruiter Progrm. In 

essence, the deprtment is creting system chnges tht will institutionlize service-oriented performnce. 

These chnges strt with the mentoring progrm tht inculctes deprtment vlues erly in the creer life of  

Scrmento police officer. Together, ll of these prctices demonstrte tht the Scrmento Police Deprtment 

is meeting its gol of mking HSS prt of the fbric of the everydy life of  police officer. 

27 
Case Studies 

Unique Accomplishments 

The Scrmento Police Deprtment’s work in HSS resulted in the following five unique ccomplishments: 

• Focus Groups with n pplied reserch prdigm 

• Occuptionl screening linked to prtnership with the Cliforni POST 

• Recruitment-selection guides 

• Innovtion in performnce pprisls 

• Community Recruiter Progrm 

Focus groups with an applied research paradigm: Rther thn relying on open-ended discussion groups, the 

Scrmento Police Deprtment structured its focus groups by using  reserch prdigm tht systemtized the 

methodology used to determine desired trits for community-oriented police officers. Similr groups helped 

to develop service-oriented mrketing recruitment mterils nd worked with the community to vlidte the 

identified brnd. 

Occupational screening linked to partnership with the California POST: A strong prtnership with the 

Cliforni POST influenced the police deprtment’s pproch to occuptionl screening nd ws integrl to 

the modifiction of the selection processes. The police deprtment went to gret lengths to ensure tht its 

occuptionl screening ws consistent with community policing trits nd behviorl dimensions tht were 

being identified in POST’s ongoing work. These fctors were integrted into ll elements of the occuptionl 

screening procedures. 

Scrmento lso took  highly prcticl pproch to its review of ll components of its occuptionl screening 

process nd elected to focus only on those components tht could be integrted relisticlly into the community 

service frmework. 

Recruitment-selection guides: The Scrmento Police Deprtment developed  forml recruiting pln nd 

 rnge of recruiting tools, including  series of mnuls, to guide the recruitment nd selection process s 

well s  writing ssessment tool. Mny of the guides hve  compnion video of instructions. These guides 

re importnt s supplements to help potentil cndidtes get through the process nd re prticulrly criticl 

s support informtion for the stte-wide mndted selection components tht could not be chnged. The 

police deprtment lso developed  guide for clinicl psychologists who conduct the psychologicl ssessment 

component of the screening process nd tht guide is now prt of the RFP process. 

Performance appraisal innovations: Combining the trits identified in the HSS project with the POST 

behviorl dimensions, the Scrmento Police Deprtment set out to develop  360o evlution model. In 

contrst to using unitry rtings from individul supervisors to evlute performnce, this model gthers 

performnce dt from  number of different sources. Dt sources cn include, but re not limited to, direct 

supervisor observtions, peer input, existing personnel files, nd overll performnce of the respective work 

unit. Within this context, Scrmento will be eliciting  community component reltive to officer performnce 

which is quite unique in lw enforcement. Overll, the successful completion of this process will llow the 

deprtment to provide  formtive pprisl of n officer’s job performnce nd will permit supervisors to 

deliver highly specific performnce feedbck, prticulrly s it reltes to community policing (see Appendix 

D). 

Although no strnger to privte industry, the 360o performnce pprisl model presents quite  contrst to 

the trditionl performnce pprisl methods used in lw enforcement. Consequently, it stnds to mke  

substntive contribution to the field. 

28 
Case Studies 

Community Recruiter Program: Seeking prtners who were prt of the minority communities enbled  broder 

recruitment strtegy in diverse communities nd culminted in the police deprtment’s intent to develop the 

Community Recruiter Progrm. The progrm will trin community leders to recruit qulified pplicnts from 

groups where they hve  strong presence. Such groups include, but re not limited to, neighborhood nd business 

ssocitions, fith-bsed nd eductionl institutions, nd ethnic communities. Community recruiters will receive 

instruction on the full rnge of selection ctivities to help prepre potentil recruits to meet hiring stndrds nd 

will function s liisons with deprtment recruiters. 

Scrmento’s reserch pproch resulted in  detiled exmintion nd modifiction of recruitment nd selection 

prctices nd ensured tht they would be consistent with service oriented trits s well s with POST requirements. 

Perhps the most significnt chnge tht occurred hs been the involvement of community members on the 

interview bord nd their significnt influence on the hiring process. The design of the 360o Performnce 

Evlution Model tht incorportes the prmeters of community policing is lso unique. 

Unique Challenges 

Chnges in the recruiting nd selection environment re likely to produce other systemic chnge. In the cse of the 

Scrmento Police Deprtment, some of these chnges hve been positive, while the long-term impct of others 

remins uncler. 

One such chnge is the number of pplicnts who re first exposed to the deprtment through the Internet. With 

70 percent of recruits responding through the Internet, t this time it is unknown if there will be  corresponding 

chnge in the qulity of ptrol performnce of these new pplicnts. Clerly, Internet contct precludes personl 

contct nd direct fmilirity with the deprtment t the outset of the process. Moreover, while there is little 

question tht computer-svvy cndidtes will bring  rnge of different skills to the job tht will be prticulrly 

importnt in the informtion ge, it remins to be seen if this dvntge will trnslte into effective police ptrol 

behvior. Or, will pplicnts who my be seen s computer svvy bring  new rnge of issues tht cn become 

problemtic? 

Despite the extensive level of community involvement in recruitment, t the conclusion of the project community 

members hd not generted the number of recruits tht hd been nticipted. Also, there were more recruit dropouts 

in the field trining officer phse of trining s of Jnury 2004. In the preceding yer, however, Scrmento hd 

trined two recruit clsses, in contrst to the trditionl single clss, nd it is not cler if tht hd something to do 

with the higher number of recruit dropouts. 

Although incresing diversity in the pplicnt pool ws  mjor gol for the Scrmento Police Deprtment, the 

mjority of recruits re still white mles. While incresing diversity remins  gol, it hs not been fully ttined; 

however, the dt provided by the focus groups conducted with minority nd femle employees re providing 

instructive informtion on how to increse diversity nd, in ll likelihood, will improve this sitution. 

Future of HSS in the Sacramento Police Department 

The Scrmento Police Deprtment is determined to meet its HSS gols nd is well on the wy to linking ll tht 

it does to  common gol, purpose, nd philosophy. In ddition to chnging the fce tht the police present to the 

community, substntive revisions re being integrted throughout the selection system nd these chnges involve 

trining s well s promotionl processes. Systemic chnges to these fundmentl processes clerly dvnce the 

police deprtment’s cpcity to institutionlize the HSS mission. Moreover, the fct tht it hs linked its efforts 

to those of the Cliforni POST increses the chnces of institutionliztion. Finlly, the Scrmento Police 

Deprtment is cler tht HSS is now the wy to do business nd tht messge is resonting both internlly nd 

externlly. 

29 
Case Studies 

Burlington Police Department:
 

Work That Matters
 

“Hiring in the spirit of service...tht is the Burlington Police Deprtment, tht’s who we re,” sid Deputy Chief 

Steve Wrk. In the Burlington Police Deprtment, the spirit of service strted out s the police deprtment’s brnd, 

but it turned out to be  gret del more thn just  slogn on  brochure. The police deprtment sought to embed 

the spirit of service nd community involvement into everything it does in its quest to crete  deprtment tht ws 

fully responsive to the growing multiculturl needs of the community. By the end of the project, the spirit of service 

hd been converted into  new hiring slogn tht Burlington sw s fully embrcing wht the service orienttion 

mens to the life of  Burlington police officer: Work that Matters. 

Ensconced in the Green Mountins of Vermont nd fronting on Lke Chmplin, the city of Burlington is unique 

with its low generl crime rte nd  prticulrly low incidence of violent crime. Home to the University of 

Vermont, the city enjoys the distinction s one of the most livble cities in the country. Although it is smll nd 

hs  popultion of pproximtely 40,000, it is the lrgest city in the stte. In contrst to other sites, its strong 

tourist industry ttrcts vctioners cross ll sesons—siling in summer, viewing fll folige, nd skiing in wht 

is comprble to  winter wonderlnd. However, this beutiful setting lso cn crete problems for  new recruit 

becuse hrsh winters lso re prt of this picture-postcrd environment nd they present unique djustment 

problems tht go beyond djusting to life in  police deprtment. Functioning s  police officer in long stretches 

of below-zero tempertures nd blizzrd conditions re not necessrily conducive to ttrcting nd retining n 

ethniclly diverse pplicnt pool, prticulrly when people in this multiculturl city immigrted from countries tht 

hve very temperte climtes. 

Of the five smple sites, Burlington is the smllest police deprtment with  sworn strength of 104. At the 

beginning of the project, however, only 92 officers were vilble to dischrge the lw enforcement function. 

Although  decrement of 12 officers my not seem substntil in mny police deprtments, in  deprtment of this 

size it becomes  mjor fctor nd strins humn resources. Burlington, therefore, ws eger to tke on this project 

in hopes of ttrcting cndidtes who would serve the multiculturl community well becuse they were ttrcted to, 

nd motivted by, work that matters. 

History of the Project 

The Burlington Police Deprtment dpted community policing in 1999 under the ledership of then Chief Aln 

Ennis. Through her stewrdship, the deprtment built on n existing rry of community reltions efforts. But 

it ws the HSS grnt tht llowed the deprtment to integrte extnt prtnerships into the fbric of the police 

deprtment nd to crete  community focus cross the deprtment. When Chief Thoms Trembley ssumed the 

position fter Chief Ennis retired, he endorsed the community policing philosophy nd committed to mking it 

the driving force of how the deprtment does business in this multiculturl community tht continues to grow in 

diversity. 

Burlington is  refugee resettlement center nd people from Vietnm, Somli, Bosni, nd other ethnic groups 

ssocited with the university now cll this city home. Mny hve preconceived ides bout police prctices tht 

re bsed on experiences with police in their ntive countries. Additionlly, s  university town with  strong menu 

of multiculturl offerings, the focus on creting  community tht welcomes diversity is becoming the norm. The 

police deprtment supported tht norm, prtnered with the Community Economic Development Office (CEDO) in 

its efforts to expnd community development into public forums on rce, culture, nd clss, nd sought to intensify 

tht focus in the deprtment. 

30 
Case Studies 

While the Burlington Police Deprtment’s community policing mission ws consistent with the bove trends, 

federl funding llowed the deprtment to further institutionlize prctices nd to integrte its community 

policing mission into the everydy opertions of the deprtment. In this regrd, it glvnized the deprtment to 

systemize how police re working together with citizens in this incresingly multiculturl community nd to 

develop wht it hs termed “prtnerships with  purpose”—prtnerships tht prevent crime nd crete  sfer 

city. 

Project Goals 

Given the bckground of  strong trdition of service-oriented ctivities, the Burlington Police Deprtment 

dpted  four-phse project strtegy. 

•	 Crete  model-officer psychometric profile. 

•	 Chnge the selection system by supplementing stte-sponsored selection tools with HSS strtegies. 

•	 Engge in outrech with  gol of incresing diversity through the use of mrketing tctics involving rdio 

nd television dvertising nd community involvement. 

•	 Provide professionl development for recruits nd mentoring. 

The overll gol of the project sought to rise the qulity of policing services by intensifying police work with 

citizens to chieve  sfe, helthy, nd self-relint community with problem solving s the primry strtegy to 

chieve the mission. 

Model officer profile: The Burlington Police Deprtment proposed to crete  model officer profile in the 

first HSS phse nd to study  group of tenured police officers through their performnce on  series of 

tests developed by Hilson Reserch. The contrct psychologist identified these instruments s pproprite 

for screening police officers, in both pre- nd post–conditionl offers of employment. Although the police 

deprtment initilly sought to test  lrge smple of officers, the smple ended up being much smller (N=28) 

thn originlly intended, in prt becuse of chnges in smple selection tht were required by the Institutionl 

Review Bord (IRB). Also, in  deprtment this size, opportunities re somewht limited for scheduling 

groups of officers to prticipte in reserch ctivities becuse of concerns bout depleting ptrol coverge. 

Consequently, this phse of the project is still ongoing. This less thn fully successful ssessment reserch 

focus hd implictions for the next HSS phse tht proposed to supplement stte-sponsored selection tools. 

HSS supplements to state-sponsored tool: In the second project phse, the Burlington Police Deprtment 

hd plnned to develop  new test tht would supplement the processes mndted by the stte, primrily the 

Minnesot Multiphsic Personlity Inventory (MMPI). The fct tht the first-phse reserch design could 

not be ccommodted within the time frme of the grnt ffected the cpcity to meet this objective. The 

police deprtment, however, hd greter success in overcoming impediments to the gol of developing n 

online, entry-level prctice test for potentil recruits. These impediments involved proprietry nd copyright 

issues relted to using copies of out-of-service entry-level tests tht hd been used s prt of the initil stte 

ssessment process. Although the recycling of pst tests involved issues beyond the scope of the HSS grnt, 

they were subsequently resolved nd the police deprtment ws ble to develop n online prctice test. 

Originlly this test ws vilble online t www.workthtmtters.net, but the informtion hs since been 

trnsferred to the Burlington Police Deprtment’s website t www.bpdvt.org. 

Outreach activities: In the third phse of the project, the Burlington Police Deprtment’s initil focus on using 

mrketing s n outrech tool ws twofold. First it sought to initite “messges” tht would ttrct  diverse 

cndidte pool. Second, it wnted to improve its web site, use it to provide the online pre–employment smple 

31 
Case Studies 

test tht potentil cndidtes could use for prctice, nd lso ttin individul feedbck on their performnce. 

As such, the police deprtment plnned to use its web site primrily for informtionl purposes nd ws less 

focused on developing n dvertising nd medi cmpign. The deprtment contrcted to develop  site tht 

ws visully ttrctive with esy-to-nvigte links, sections, chpters, nd pssges—ll of which would 

contin messges ttuned to conveying the spirit of service, but with the intention of informing cndidtes, 

rther thn ttrcting them, through dvertising. 

Initilly, Burlington pproched this phse of the project from the frmework of informtion dissemintion. It 

took the position tht mrketing could frme the messge, but lso believed tht regrdless of wht brochures 

nd videos would sy bout the deprtment, it ws wht hppened when recruits were inside the deprtment 

tht ws most importnt. The prtnership with CEDO ws  mjor influence on developing this perspective 

becuse the CEDO network hd confirmed tht while cndidtes were concerned bout getting hired, they 

were eqully pprehensive bout wht would hppen fter they were hired. Although the police deprtment 

mintined the informtion dissemintion priority throughout most of the project, the deprtment did come to 

recognize the vlue of  broder mrketing strtegy when they sw it being used successfully t the other sites. 

Before the completion of the project, the Burlington Police Deprtment drmticlly revised its ides bout 

how to use its web site s well s its ides bout the vlue of dvertising. As  result, the deprtment dopted 

mrketing techniques tht were similr to those of other sites nd eventully completely revised its web site. 

By the conclusion of the project, the dvertising cmpign nd web site hd ttrcted wide medi ttention 

which signified tht its medi mrket hd expnded. A further indiction of the success of the web site ws 

reflected in the substntil increse in the number of hits following the implementtion of the chnges to the 

site. 

The Burlington Police Deprtment is the one site tht did not convene forml focus groups nd did not develop 

 steering or dvisory committee. Rther, it convened tem meetings tht included project stff, consultnts, 

nd citizens. The tem meetings were n integrl prt of their outrech strtegy. They were used to identify the 

service-oriented trits tht the deprtment ws seeking in pplicnts nd, eqully importnt, they provided  

forum for developing the Community Consultnt component of the project. 

Hving fully endorsed the need to build trust with diverse popultions tht felt mrginlized, the police 

deprtment developed its Community Consultnt progrm s  mjor front-end outrech ctivity nd s 

the core of its recruitment strtegy. CEDO provided community coching services s  wy to connect the 

community consultnts to diverse citizen groups nd to help them to educte the groups nd dvocte for the 

community policing philosophy in culturlly relevnt wys. The outrech coch lso prticipted in the tem 

meetings nd provided expertise on how to crete effective recruiting strtegies nd to develop  mentoring 

progrm to retin potentil recruits in the system. 

The police deprtment used the Community Consultnt vehicle to dopt  people-to-people pproch tht it 

eventully supplemented through mss medi messges. Community members were involved in the initil 

phses of the project s well s in other components of the selection process. Citizen prticiption expnded 

considerbly beyond the tem meetings through the community consultnt component. Community members 

provided feedbck on the design of the police deprtment web site nd now prticipte regulrly in recruiting, 

orl bord interviews, nd trining police cndidtes. Finlly, involvement of the community hs been built 

into the gency’s opertionl pln by soliciting systemtic feedbck from citizens t community meetings 

convened to ssess how the gency is performing. 

32 
Case Studies 

Professional development through mentoring: The finl phse of the project resulted in  mentoring progrm 

to help recruits from diverse communities djust to wht for mny is  very different environment, nd to 

fcilitte retention of police officers committed to the spirit of service. The deprtment sw the mentoring 

progrm s prticulrly importnt in helping cndidtes from diverse communities become comfortble with 

the police identity nd to dpt to the police culture. But it lso ws importnt for other resons. Over nd 

bove cclimting to the police culture,  problem for lw enforcement recruits ntionwide, the environmentl 

conditions in Vermont provoke relistic djustment difficulties for new recruits. Although the city of 

Burlington hs been designted s one of the most livble smll cities in the United Sttes, 2003’s 53 inches of 

snow nd 6-degrees-below-zero tempertures, not unusul for the mountins of Vermont, pose vlid questions 

for potentil recruits. The mentors hve become importnt in trnslting how the qulity of life in Burlington 

overrides sesonl climctic conditions. Finlly, professionl development hs been enhnced by providing 

tutoring for recruits whose second lnguge is English. 

Unique Accomplishments 

The Burlington Police Deprtment’s unique ccomplishments in its HSS progrm re the following: 

• CEDO prtnership nd outrech coch 

• Community Consultnt progrm 

• Mentoring policy nd English lnguge tutoring 

• Online entry-level prctice test 

CEDO Partnership and Outreach Coach: A hllmrk contribution to HSS is the Burlington Police 

Deprtment’s investment in strengthening the involvement of the multiculturl community. In ddition to 

creting the Community Consultnt progrm, the deprtment worked with CEDO nd used their VISTA 

volunteers s well s respected businessmen to develop n outrech cpcity tht ws designed to develop 

credibility with diverse citizen groups. Credibility ws prticulrly importnt becuse concerns of diverse 

cndidtes relted to working with the police could become n impediment to the success of the project. 

Consequently, the deprtment used the services of  CEDO outrech coch to work with the consultnts nd 

ssist them in lerning how to recruit  diverse pplicnt pool. This decision not only supported community 

involvement in the selection process, the use of the CEDO network helped to communicte  stedfst messge 

to police cndidtes bout the deprtment’s commitment to the multi-culturl community nd their intent to 

involve the community in recruitment nd hiring. 

Community Consultant Program: The community consultnts re djunct recruiters for the Burlington Police 

Deprtment. They prticipte in outrech t job firs, town meetings, nd workplces nd re n integrl prt 

of the recruitment tem tht engges in forml recruitment ctivities. Also, they re involved in the recruit 

orienttion progrm where they ddress the concept of community nd culture in the city of Burlington nd 

discuss their perspectives on the socil, economic, nd culturl spects of the city. As prt of the recruitment 

tem, they re pid  volunteer stipend from funds outside of the project to work with professionl stff nd 

engge in outrech, nd they now hve  vote in the orl bord’s interview process. In essence, they hve 

become  significnt prt of the hiring process nd hve recruited 28 potentil recruits to the deprtment since 

the inception of the progrm. Tht number tkes on greter significnce in light of Burlington’s sworn strength 

of 104 officers. 

Mentoring Policy and English Language Tutoring: The mentoring progrm ws prticulrly importnt for 

this multiculturl community nd the police deprtment sought out individuls in diverse communities to help 

with this process. Since mny of the potentil recruits come from countries where the experience with police 

33 
Case Studies 

hs been less thn fvorble, there ws  need to not only ttrct these individuls to lw enforcement but to 

help them feel comfortble with their decision nd to sustin them throughout the process. This hs been  

lerning process for the police nd for the community. They hve found tht even when ideologicl brriers to 

becoming  police officer hve been resolved, lnguge nd writing skills cn be mjor obstcles to completing 

the process successfully. As  result, the mentoring progrm now involves  much-needed component of 

English lnguge tutoring. 

On Line Entry-Level Practice Test: The Burlington Police Deprtment resolved the impediments to using 

bck issues of stte-sponsored entry-level tests nd now offers n online entry-level prctice test tht clerly 

pproximtes wht recruits will encounter when they pply for  position s  Burlington police officer. This 

effort is prticulrly importnt for recruits whose second lnguge is English. The test cn be viewed online t 

the Burlington Police Deprtment’s website. 

Unique Challenges 

Creting the model psychometric profile ws most chllenging. As  smll, homogenous deprtment, the 

smple of officers (both ptrol officers nd detectives) tested ws not lrge enough to render sttisticlly 

significnt informtion. Moreover, implementtion of pilot testing ws delyed becuse of IRB concerns nd 

becuse Burlington becme n HSS site lter in the process. Despite these chllenges, there were ttempts 

to expnd the size of the designted smple of police officers; it is uncler how mny officers eventully 

completed the proposed ssessment bttery. 

Becuse of the smll smple, the ptterns under considertion need to be interpreted with cution becuse 

vlidity my be questionble. The current smple is too smll to mke relible generliztions; therefore, test 

findings re being compred to lrger smples from the other sites tht used the sme tests. According to the 

consulting psychologist, some similrities re emerging but s of this writing findings re still inconclusive. 

Another chllenge involved trcking the movement of recruits through the process. The Burlington Police 

Deprtment is required by the stte to retin pplicnts’ files for seven (7) yers nd identify t which point 

pplicnts drop out or re disqulified. The process, though, is less formlly systemtized primrily becuse 

only one recruiting officer is ssigned to mnge the process,  feture not uncommon in smll deprtments. 

Also, confidentility requirements pose stringent limittions on circulting informtion bout potentil 

cndidtes,  concern tht cn tke on greter significnce when volunteers living in  smll community re 

involved in the process. The lck of forml system to trck recruit progress in  smll deprtment does not 

reflect poorly on the progress of the HSS inititive but it does mke it more difficult to guge overll success 

of the project. Also, it becomes difficult to determine where corrections need to be mde in recruitment nd 

hiring. However, such limittions clerly did not dmpen the enthusism for the process since community 

consultnts continue to deliver new recruits. 

34 
Case Studies 

Future of HSS in Burlington 

The initil gol of the project ws to hire eight officers by the originl project end dte. Before the grnt ws 

extended, four recruits hd been hired nd trined t the Vermont Police Acdemy, which provides  firly 

rigorous nd rigid prmilitry trining protocol. Of n dditionl 28 new cndidtes who were qulified by 

recruiters to sit for the initil test dministered by the cdemy, 10 showed up for testing nd of tht number, 

three pssed nd were ble to meet the hiring requirements. Although this lower success rte hs been 

something of  disppointment to project stff, they did come close to meeting their gols nd percentge-wise 

my end up with selection rtes tht re closer to the lrger deprtments. Further, their bility to lern from the 

process nd introduce new methods in response to chllenges fced by cndidtes suggests  certin resiliency 

tht is consistent with mintining the spirit of service. 

According to Burlington officils, recruitment ctivity continues nd community enthusism remins high. 

Moreover, the hit rtes on the web site hve incresed drmticlly nd the deprtment hopes tht through 

mentoring nd tutoring it will meet its gol to become  multiculturl, diverse police deprtment in  stte 

tht is 92 percent Cucsin. The deprtment’s commitment to community policing hs not wvered nd the 

tenured officer testimonils on its web site suggest tht the spirit of service is live nd well in the Burlington 

Police Deprtment nd tht these officers clerly re engged in work that matters. 

35 
Case Studies 

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office—Courage, Integrity,
 

Compassion: Could you Answer the Call? 
 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office serves the Tmp By (Florid) re. It is the 34th lrgest county nd 

the ninth lrgest suburbn county lw enforcement gency in the country. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s 

Office is  full-service gency with  stff of 3,000 including 1,200 deputies nd 900 detention deputies. Inititing 

community policing in the lte eighties, Sheriff Cl Henderson sw HSS s n opportunity to expnd the office’s 

community policing mission. Hving hired 124 community resource deputies (CRD) since 1993, Hillsborough 

sought to develop nd implement model recruitment strtegies nd selection systems tht would ttrct nd employ 

the best-qulified individuls s service-oriented deputies to serve Hillsborough County. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is committed to community policing nd Sheriff Henderson nd Chief 

Deputy Dvid Gee (who succeeded Sheriff Henderson in 2005) were willing to mke the commitment required of 

Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS) sites. Hving dedicted the 124 CRDs to fixed geogrphic res, Hillsborough 

ws poised to use these deputies s  resource pool tht would permit it to exmine methods to formlize  

selection process tht expnded its service-oriented deputy hiring gols. Moreover, Hillsborough sought to rech 

cndidtes who could nswer the cll. 

Enjoying  long–stnding reltionship with the University of South Florid, the sheriff’s office hd the cpcity to 

prtner with the university nd estblish  tem tht would crry out the significnt reserch tsks tht re necessry 

when mking chnges to  selection process. Subsequently, the university reserchers joined with other consultnts 

to form the reserch tem tht guided the work of the HSS grnt. The tem helped Hillsborough meet its selection 

gols of ttrcting nd hiring cndidtes who “could answer the call.” 

History of the Project 

A reserch focus ws the core of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office HSS strtegy. It ws used to determine 

the personl chrcteristics essentil in service-oriented deputies nd to incorporte the spirit of service into  job 

nlysis. Integrlly relted ws the intention to involve the community in its reserch. Since  job nlysis provides 

the foundtion for ll subsequent selection procedures, the efforts to include the community in the job nlysis 

reserch phse of the project represented  mjor innovtion in selection methodology. 

Project Goals 

To chieve its objectives, the sheriff’s office developed the following four gols: 

•	 Administer procedures, including testing, to determine personl chrcteristics essentil in service-oriented 

deputies within Hillsborough County nd prtner with the community to chieve this gol. The gol involved 

conducting pre–employment reserch on  job nlysis nd smple test results from exemplry gency deputies 

(the CRDs) to determine the personl chrcteristics essentil to service-oriented deputies, nd to dminister 

such testing to lw enforcement pplicnts. 

•	 Chnge nd increse recruitment efforts to provide  more diverse pplicnt pool nd develop  mrketing 

cmpign designed to ttrct those cndidtes.
 

36 
Case Studies 

•	 Conduct sttisticl reserch to determine the impct of project ctivities on hiring gols nd to build the 

methodology required for longitudinl reserch tht will ssess the relted impct of HSS strtegies on 

subsequent officer job performnce. 

•	 Crete  lw enforcement recruitment nd hiring model tht will increse the cpcity for recruiting nd 

selecting service-oriented deputies nd which complies with generlly ccepted selection prctices. 

These gols confirm the strong pplied reserch strtegy of the Hillsborough project. Further, they re lying 

the groundwork for subsequent longitudinl vlidtion reserch to ssess the predictive bility of the selection 

procedures developed through HSS strtegies. 

Research team 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office engged fculty from the University of South Florid to form  reserch 

tem specific to the project. The tem ws comprble to the steering nd/or dvisory committees used by other 

sites but differed in tht the tem lso mnged the dt collection processes, the focus group procedures, nd 

exmined pproprite vlidity strtegies. Other reserchers who were prt of the tem included  community 

inclusion specilist nd  lw enforcement selection expert with specific expertise in test development nd lw 

enforcement pplicnt screening. 

Pre–employment research: At the outset of the project, Hillsborough commissioned  study of deprtments tht 

hd undertken similr projects. The results showed tht only  limited number of deprtments were serious bout 

incorporting community inclusion into their selection ctivities. Community Inclusion Specilist Dvid Bchrch 

recommended developing opportunities for recruits nd citizens to interct throughout recruitment, selection, 

nd trining. The informtion from his report informed subsequent Hillsborough decisions to elicit community 

evlution of recruit performnce during the field trining creer phse. The sheriff’s office lso cted on his 

recommendtion to crete opportunities to introduce recruits to the communities where they would serve in order to 

enhnce fmilirity with the community nd to emphsize the importnce of developing positive reltionships with 

the community t the very outset of their creers. The sheriff’s office, however, did not ccept his recommendtion 

to include community members on n orl interview bord becuse Hillsborough did not use orl bord interviews 

in their selection process. To ct on this recommendtion would hve required dding  new step to the existing 

process, which would not hve been n esy process, nd Hillsborough ws unble to do tht. 

The pre–employment reserch focus lso ws pplied in the effort to identify service-oriented trits tht were 

defined in  job nlysis questionnire. Reclling tht there is little in the selection reserch literture on wht 

is involved in community policing, Hillsborough sought to define job-relted chrcteristics tht describe the 

community-oriented deputy. Rther thn engge in the lengthy process tht is necessry to crete  comprehensive 

job nlysis, it used the Hilson Job Anlysis Questionnire (HJAQ) developed by Hilson Reserch. Although 

the HJAQ is not  trditionl job nlysis instrument, it enjoys extensive use in other lw enforcement gencies 

nd provides n opportunity to question respondents bout the behviors nd chrcteristics tht re required for 

successful job performnce in policing. 

The Hillsborough reserch tem plced community members, CRD deputies, nd supervisors into focus groups nd 

hd them to complete the HJAQ. Anlysis of the HJAQ results from 291 individuls showed remrkble greement 

between citizens nd deputies in how they described the chrcteristics needed to perform the service-oriented role. 

Despite some initil concerns bout working together, the reserchers found consensul greement s well s  

mutul pprecition for wht ech group brought to the tble when it cme to describing wht they wnted to see in 

Hillsborough CRDs (see Appendix E). 

37 
Case Studies 

Focus group research: Hillsborough selected focus group prticipnts from existing intct groups tht comprise 

the sheriff’s office nd community network rther thn  rndom selection of independent groups of citizens or the 

use of n t-lrge strtegy. The network included neighborhood ssocitions, dvisory councils, prticulrly those 

representing minority communities, citizen police cdemy prticipnts, nd other community groups such s those 

representing the interests of senior citizens, nd Neighborhood Wtch cptins. 

The reserch tem found it necessry to prepre focus group prticipnts bout wht to expect. A protocol ws 

developed tht included meeting with ech group before their prticiption nd explining gols of the project s 

well s expecttions for prticiption nd nticipted outcomes. The tem convened eight community focus groups 

long with seprte groups of CRDs to help them define service orienttion. To develop this informtion, ll 

prticipnts completed the HJAQ nd endorsed items tht identified the chrcteristics they believed re essentil, 

importnt, or not importnt for success s  community policing officer. This criticl first step lid the groundwork 

for wht would be ssessed in  subsequent ssessment process. 

The rtings cross groups were remrkbly similr to the point tht the top five rted behviors were the sme for 

ll groups, though their order vried. Items tht were consistently identified included the following: 

• Willingness to dmit shortcomings 

• Communiction skills 

• Frustrtion tolernce 

• Avoiding procrstintion 

• Strong work hbits 

The chrcteristics tht were consistently defined s most importnt, both by citizens nd deputies, included 

honesty, patience, trust, integrity, tolerance and compassion, listening to the concerns of others, social skills to 

work effectively with angry or dissatisfied individuals, ability to make level-headed decisions, and getting along 

well with others.
 

Other essentil behviors tht received high scores included lack of asocial behaviors, attention to safety issues, 

self–confidence, and loyalty to the organization. In some wys, these chrcteristics nd behviors reflect n 

emotionl intelligence component becuse it requires  cpcity for self-wreness nd wreness of others in 

contrst to focusing only on enforcement skills. 

These dimensions suggest tht community members re seeking officers who hve  fir degree of selfhonesty, re ble to communicte with the public, nd who re ble to control themselves in the fce of the 

mny frustrtions encountered by lw enforcement. In order of importnce, the top three chrcteristics 

identified by the community mtched those tht were identified independently by  group of Hillsborough 

supervisors who prticipted in the project. Further, the rtings of the CRD group were consistent on the first 

two dimensions (bility to dmit shortcomings nd communiction skills) but they rted lck of procrstintion 

s the third most importnt dimension, with frustrtion tolernce being fourth. Despite wht seems to be  

remrkble convergence, these results re subject to longitudinl vlidtion to determine their relevnce to job 

performnce; however, they hold considerble promise for identifying the dimensions tht chrcterize the 

community policing officer. 

Occupational screening research: Hillsborough did not involve clinicl psychologicl screening ctivities 

in its project; however, it exmined occuptionl screening tests tht could be dministered s  precondition 

of employment. The dt collection nd nlysis in this type of reserch is  lengthy process, t best, but it 

ws further delyed by questions from the Institutionl Review Bord (IRB) regrding sfegurds for humn 

38 
Case Studies 

subjects prticipting in this type of reserch. Consequently, until Hillsborough received IRB pprovl it hd to 

dely its plns for using experienced CRDs in  pilot test of the Hilson Reserch screening bttery. This initil 

testing ws  criticl element of the overll vlidtion strtegy. Consequently, the dely ffected the bility to 

fully ssess the four-test bttery of screening instruments with pplicnts. 

As it nered the conclusion of the project, Hillsborough hd gthered bse line ssessment dt from the Hilson 

bttery on 250 tenured officers. While  smple size of 250 is not insignificnt, the cpcity for prediction in 

 public hiring process requires  much lrger smple s well s  brod rnge of performnce informtion. 

Consequently, Hillsborough cknowledged tht it would need to continue its selection reserch beyond the life 

of the project to meet the gol of developing  hiring model unique to service-oriented deputies. Extending the 

reserch bse lso will permit further exmintion of extnt methodologicl questions concerning explortory 

reserch with  gol of predicting successful cndidtes versus defining personlity constructs of successful 

deputies. Hillsborough wisely determined tht these issues would need to be reconciled so s not to overstte 

conclusions. After the completion of its HSS project, the HCSO nd their project consultnt Dr. Robin Inwld 

continued to give ll lw enforcement pplicnts the four-test bttery nd integrte new scores into ongoing 

reserch nd vlidtion, n ctivity tht continues t the time of this reporting. 

In the long term, questions bout methodologicl issues relted to relibility, vlidity, nd the cpcity for 

prediction cn only strengthen  selection project. For the short term, however, these questions cnnot be 

resolved within the context of this report. Suffice it to sy tht vlidtion of the ssessment bttery will 

continue beyond the life of the project, s it should, nd tht Hillsborough’s intent to develop  vlid process is 

consistent with professionl stndrds. Accordingly, this is n importnt qulifiction becuse some of the other 

HSS sites hve used this sme bttery of tests nd they, too, will need to engge in longitudinl vlidtion. 

Changing Recruitment through Marketing 

The results of the HJAQ were key to other project ctivities, prticulrly the mrketing cmpign tht ws 

designed to crete  proctive recruitment strtegy tht reflected community vlues. In this regrd, focus 

group responses helped the mrketing consultnt develop mterils tht used imgery nd medi to convey 

the complexity of skills nd personl chrcteristics of most vlue for lw enforcement in Hillsborough 

County. The desired imgery ws incorported into humn interest brochures, posters, personl testimonils,  

recruitment video, nd  new web site. 

The mrketing cmpign developed the brnd—Courge, Integrity, Compssion: Could You Answer the 

Cll? A collterl messge is the question—Do you hve wht it tkes to wer the str? These messges were 

personlized through  series of stories bout deputies, their bckgrounds, nd their sttements, or testimonils, 

of wht their work mens to them. Clerly, this cmpign introduced  new type of wr story to the lw 

enforcement world. 

Elborting on the recommendtion of the community consultnt, Hillsborough is institutionlizing the 

community focus by introducing the community s n influentil fctor erly in ech deputy’s creer. In this 

regrd, it plns to expose recruits to the different groups in the community nd introduce them t community 

meetings, such s those convened by the Chmber of Commerce. Also, the sheriff’s office is soliciting citizen 

feedbck on recruit performnce during the field trining phse of the recruit probtionry process. Within this 

context, field trining officers (FTO) sk citizens to fill out  stndrd form tht ssesses recruit performnce 

from the community perspective nd then provide feedbck to recruits before they complete the FTO phse 

of their trining. This informtion will be discussed with ech recruit deputy s prt of his or her on-the-job 

trining nd will serve s  form of qulity control. 

39 
Case Studies 

By the conclusion of the project, Hillsborough hd extended the emphsis on hiring to 

include mjor chnges in how it supported recruits while in the stte police cdemy. In 

this regrd, it combined resources from its COPS Office Creting A Culture of Integrity 

grnt4 with the HSS strtegy to ensure tht recruits remined focused on the vlues tht 

brought them to the deprtment. For the first time, recruits entering the cdemy will hve 

been nominted by citizens, will receive  stipend tht supports their trining, nd will 

hve ongoing coching by tenured Hillsborough deputies while in the cdemy. 

Further, Hillsborough plnned to implement  problem-bsed lerning model, developed 

for police trining officers (PTO)5 nd supported by the COPS Office, to field trin this 

prticulr group of recruits. This field trining model is bsed on dult lerning principles 

nd integrtes criticl thinking nd problem solving into ll fields instruction. Rther 

thn the triner checking off recruit performnce on  series of scles, the triner cts 

s  coch who helps the recruit officer pply nlyticl skills to ddress the rnge of 

community problems tht contribute to crime nd disorder. However, while the HCSO 

begn initil plnning for the PTO progrm, the Stte of Florid moved forwrd to dopt 

the “Curriculum Mintennce System” (CMS) stndrds for lw enforcement certifiction 

which dopts mny of the recommendtions nd methods of the PTO progrm. As with 

the PTO progrm, under the new CMS lw enforcement certifction process, community 

policing nd SARA problem-solving components were built into the entire Florid lw 

enforcement trining curriculum, rther thn s  seprte clss. Additionlly, the CMS 

curricule, like the PTO curriculum, prioritizes scenrio-bsed, interctive trining which 

chllenges students to continuously identify ethicl considertions, nd develop wys to 

bring the community into crime prevention. Accordingly, the HCSO sponsored the first 

lw enforcement cdemy clss in their re to tke the new community-oriented CMS 

trining, nd ws one of the erliest supporters of their locl communitiy college mking 

the permnent trnsition to the CMS lw enforcement curriculum. 

These innovtions present  striking picture of how  deprtment cn leverge multiple 

resources nd integrte  rnge of inititives to chieve broder gols. 

4. Funded in 

FY2002, the objective 

of this grnt progrm 

ws to build on nd 

strengthen the police 

integrity inititives 

developed by COPS 

for purposes of 

creting community 

policing environments 

tht foster trust 

nd mutul respect 

between police nd 

citizens. 

This pln builds on 

pst inititives but 

expnds COPS efforts 

to crete  culture of 

integrity in police 

deprtments. 

5. Problem-Bsed 

Lerning (PBL) is 

 lerner centered 

teching method 

tht uses problem 

solving s the vehicle 

for lerning. For 

more informtion 

you cn refer to 

“PTO: An Overview 

nd Introduction, 

A Problem-Bsed 

Mnul for Trining 

nd Evluting Police 

Trinees” t www. 

cops.usdoj.gov. 

Unique Accomplishments 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office cited the following unique ccomplishments in 

its HSS project: 

• Involving the community in job nlysis reserch 

• Leverging other grnts to expnd the HSS mission 

• Innovtion in mrketing 

Involving the community in job analysis research: In selection methodology, the job 

nlysis is criticl to developing predictive mesures nd provides the cpcity to link 

subsequent test mesures to job performnce. Seeking community input through the use 

of the HJAQ clerly lys the groundwork for continued development of  trditionl 

job nlysis tht will be linked directly to community policing ctivities nd to the 

chrcteristics necessry to perform these ctivities. This is  substntil chievement 

for community policing becuse it will permit community policing tsks to be formlly 

40 
Case Studies 

integrted into selection methodology. Further, there is little question tht the reserch pproch to this phse of 

the project hs dvnced the process for selecting in service-oriented deputies despite the fct tht further work 

is needed to chieve this gol. 

Leverging other grnts to expnd the HSS mission: Hillsborough demonstrted ingenuity in lyering the 

HSS grnt nd its COPS Office Creting A Culture of Integrity grnt to produce  recruit clss tht for the 

first time will be the outcome of citizen-involved recruitment. Further, these recruits will hve the benefit of 

trining experiences tht directly reflect the deprtment’s vlues. This pproch becomes prticulrly unique 

when considering Florid’s cdemy process. Trditionlly, recruits hve ttended the stte cdemy on their 

own, were hired by Hillsborough only fter successfully completing trining, nd generlly did not see nyone 

from Hillsborough until they wlked through the door. In contrst, members of the current recruit clss were 

nominted by citizens to ttend the cdemy, were pid  stipend through nother grnt while in the cdemy 

(Creting A Culture of Integrity Grnt), nd were mentored by Hillsborough stff during their cdemy 

trining. Consequently, it is nticipted tht upon grdution they will hve  different level of commitment to 

the Hillsborough Sheriff’s gency nd to the community when compred to cndidtes hired through the prior 

system. Moreover, they will hve  fuller understnding of how integrity reltes to the vlues of  serviceoriented deprtment. Hillsborough’s pln to pilot test the PTO trining model with this group of recruits 

provides n dded exmple of how n gency cn leverge other sources of federl funding nd literlly re– 

engineer the erly stges of the deputy creer experience. 

Innovations in marketing: Hillsborough took  risk when it engged  cutting-edge dvertising firm to help 

crete  proctive medi cmpign tht would be  distinct contrst to trditionl nd rective pproches. Tht 

risk pid off becuse the resulting mrketing mterils were both innovtive nd engging nd tell stories bout 

individuls who derive stisfction from their jobs s deputies in Hillsborough County—individuls who re 

more thn  uniform nd bdge. The use of well-designed testimonils tht tlk bout the stisfction of mking 

 difference in the lives of citizens present  drmtic difference from brochures tht portry lw enforcement 

s  prmilitry orgniztion, tnks nd ll. In essence, the testimonils present  fce to the community tht is 

highly consistent with  service orienttion nd they clerly convey  compelling revision of trditionl police 

wr stories. 

Unique Challenges 

Resolving methodologicl issues relted to vlidtion strtegies nd developing the hiring model becme the 

biggest chllenges for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Within this context, Hillsborough encountered 

 long-stnding issue in pre-employment selection reserch: the debte over pproprite vlidtion strtegies. 

These issues re complex nd time consuming nd generte considerble discussion in professionl journls 

or scientific forums. Generlly, the hert of the debte is seeking to vlidte tests for predicting performnce 

in contrst to confirming job-relted personlity constructs tht re relted to performnce nd ssessed by 

tests. Although not unrelted, they do imply different strtegies nd perspectives tht hve implictions for 

interpreting the results of vlidity nlyses. This level of debte lso enriches selection reserch nd cn only 

improve the finl product. 

For Hillsborough, these chllenges spek to the need for longitudinl vlidtion to support  new selection 

model. Although Hillsborough’s initil gols my hve been too mbitious to ccomplish within the time 

41 
Case Studies 

frme of  single grnt, the intention to elect  longitudinl vlidtion strtegy tht will permit it to select 

in cndidtes is commendble nd suggests tht from the outset Hillsborough knew tht this project would 

continue long fter the completion of the grnt. Clerly, Hillsborough hs mde  quntum lep in meeting its 

initil gols nd there is little question tht the finl product will mke n importnt contribution to building  

cpcity for selecting community policing officers nd deputies. 

Future of HSS in Hillsborough County 

Hillsborough County hs mde  substntive contribution to HSS nd to the selection field by lying the 

groundwork for  job nlysis tht will crete the needed link to community policing. It lso hs ttempted 

to institutionlize community input into other phses of the system. In ll likelihood, Hillsborough’s ongoing 

longitudinl vlidtion work will become n importnt contribution to the field. Moreover, the link with the 

university nd other reserchers suggests tht there is more thn pssing interest in seeing tht HSS becomes 

institutionlized. Hillsborough’s innovtive medi cmpign supports this interest. Finlly, in merging the 

work with other grnts it hs set  new direction for reengineering  recruitment nd selection process tht is 

proctive nd consistent with the gols of community policing. 

42 
Case Studies 

CITY OF DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT: 

Give Back. Get More. 

Whether you cll it Motown or Motor City, Detroit represents the hert of the Americn lbor movement nd highly 

influentil unions, prticulrly where lw enforcement is concerned. Other lndmrks such s the Red Wings, 

leglized gmbling, nd esy ccess to the Cndin border ll hve n impct on policing in the city of Detroit. Of 

the five HSS sites, the Detroit Police Deprtment provides public sfety to n urbn re with ll the problems nd 

rewrds of big-city policing nd is the lrgest police deprtment in the project. 

Thirty-eight hundred strong, the Detroit Police Deprtment ws unique in the project becuse of size, types of 

crimes, nd the politicl lndscpe. In ddition,  growing level of violence, which included two police officers 

killed in the line of duty, hd gripped the city. Yet the Inspector in chrge of recruiting,  long-time vetern of 

Detroit policing who hd seen it ll, imprted n unsolicited messge tht ws similr to those herd t the other 

sites...”It’s more thn just being the police—HSS mens giving bck to the community, nd tht is wht policing is 

ll bout”. 

History of the Project 

Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS) ws initited under the tenure of Chief Jerry Oliver,  known proponent of 

innovtive community policing inititives. He believed tht community policing ws the responsibility of every 

officer nd should not be confined to the trditionl community policing units in plce t the precinct level. 

Consequently, to ensure tht the chnges brought bout through HSS would be institutionlized, he disbnded the 

community policing unit,  move tht creted concern with community dvoccy groups. 

When Chief Oliver left the deprtment midwy through the project, it ws unknown if  chnge in chief executive 

would ffect the project. Fortuntely, the new lw enforcement chief executive officer, Chief Ell Bully-Cummings, 

elected to continue the deprtment’s involvement in this project nd she remined eqully committed to dvncing 

the deprtment s community minded. In response to community concerns, she reinstituted the community policing 

unit nd redefined it s  centrlized liison unit to serve s the eyes nd ers of the chief. It ws supplemented by 

community reltions councils in ech precinct. Her stted gol is to ensure  deprtment-wide implementtion of 

the community policing philosophy. 

Project Goals 

The following objectives frmed Detroit’s strtegic pproch to the project: 

•	 Define the type of police officers whom community members would like to see policing their 

communities 

•	 Add community components to the recruitment nd selection process 

•	 Modify recruitment nd selection strtegies to trget potentil community oriented pplicnts, 

prticulrly service-oriented professionls nd minority nd women cndidtes— modifiction tht 

links to  mrketing strtegy to rech internl nd externl customers 

•	 Institutionlize service s n orgniztionl philosophy 

These objectives involved trgeting more community-minded pplicnts, developing recruitment mterils to ttrct 

them, ssessing the existing selection model to determine which component could best chieve their gol, nd 

modifying trining to incorporte curricul consistent with the concept of hiring in the spirit of service. 

43 
Case Studies 

Defining service-oriented police officers: To chieve this objective, the Detroit Police Deprtment 

contrcted with the IRI mrketing firm to conduct eight nondirective focus groups. Four groups consisted 

of community members, while police officers populted n dditionl four groups. The deprtment lso 

engged  consultnt with requisite expertise to exmine recruitment nd selection strtegies nd to 

determine the components tht hd the gretest potentil to incorporte the spirit of service. Further, the 

deprtment developed  communiction pln for mrketing itself nd its recruitment efforts, s well s  

recruitment strtegy tht built on its Recruiting Ambssdors Progrm. The ltter hd been designed to 

provide incentives nd rewrd deprtment members of ll rnks who successfully recruited service-oriented 

officers. As  result of HSS, this progrm ws expnded to include citizens. 

The IRI mrketing firm used nondirective focus groups, lso known s dt input groups, to provide 

 welth of informtion bout the knowledge, skills, nd bilities tht re necessry to perform the 

community-oriented role. The ptterns of community comments concentrted on chrcteristics relted to 

job performnce, interpersonl reltions nd personl chrcteristics, followed by competencies, systems, 

nd policies nd procedures. Detroit police officers identified the sme dimensions, though in  different 

order. Their rtings, however, did not coincide with the community identifiction of residency rules, personl 

ppernce, skills, nd physicl fitness s importnt job dimensions. 

IRI concluded tht, despite some divergent viewpoints, the community nd police consistently greed tht 

on-the-job performnce nd interpersonl reltions best defined  service oriented officer. Both groups 

endorsed  sense of responsibility s  dominnt theme nd greed tht officers should bide by the lws nd 

not feel they re bove the lw. Further, they should void unnecessry dely in responding to police clls 

for service, using cell phones while on ptrol, or evding job ssignments. They should perform job duties in 

 sfe mnner, work well s tem members, void jumping to conclusions, nd hve the bility to de-esclte 

rther thn inflme situtions. Interpersonlly, officers should tret other people, nd ech other, with 

respect. They need to be polite, show compssion nd empthy, get to know the people they re serving, nd 

interct with citizens in n overll positive mnner. Positive ttitudes, courge, flexibility, even temperment 

nd good morle were common themes relted to n officer’s pproprite demenor. Finlly, there ws 

greement tht lw enforcement is more thn just  job. They concluded tht Detroit police officers should 

hve  sense of purpose, pride, nd commitment to serving the public. These dt provided  foundtion 

tht guided the implementtion of the other HSS objectives. 

Recruitment and marketing: A second set of focus groups drove the development of Give Bck. Get More, 

the brnd tht Detroit presents to the world in its recruitment ds nd public service nnouncements. The 

mterils tht highlight this brnd depict policing in Detroit s  fulfilling, life-chnging, nd rewrding 

creer tht involves giving bck to the community. 

Before convening this set of focus groups, the Detroit Police Deprtment hd been developing  

comprehensive communiction strtegy to kick off HSS. The strtegy ws lunched through n initil press 

conference tht conveyed the messge tht the Detroit Police Deprtment ws serious bout recruiting 

community-minded officers nd tht this inititive would be decidedly different from nything tht it hd 

engged in before HSS. As  follow-up to the press conference, the deprtment lso convened  myor’s 

medi summit nd invited medi representtives to her its strong cse for medi coopertion. The summit 

provided  pltform to preview recruitment cmpign mterils nd to stress the urgency of chnging the 

nture of recruitment nd hiring. By eliciting up-front medi support, the deprtment intended to counter 

wht hd been  history of negtive perceptions of the deprtment nd fostered to  lrge extent by previous 

medi ccounts. The deprtment wnted the opportunity to tell the HSS story ccurtely insted of relying 

on others to tell it. 

44 
Case Studies 

The communiction strtegy lso hd n internl focus tht involved mrketing the expnsion of the 

deprtment’s Recruiting Ambssdors Progrm (see Appendix G) to internl stkeholders while lso 

forecsting how it would be brodened to include the community. Initilly, this progrm ws creted to 

encourge deprtment members to become involved in the recruiting process nd it provided incentives for 

those recruiting efforts tht culminted in recommended pplicnts completing the entire process. As prt of 

the communictions strtegy, the progrm ws presented to groups such s the Bord of Police Commissioners, 

the Chplin Corps, nd Detroit Police Reserve Officers, s well s to the vrious unions tht represent Detroit 

police officers. Further, the progrm ws described in the monthly newsletter, Beyond the Badge, nd hs 

been the subject of  locl television brodcst in ddition to rdio nnouncements. Finlly, recruiters ttended 

precinct roll clls to disseminte recruitment literture nd discuss the expnsion of the progrm. Specificlly, 

the Recruiting Ambssdors Progrm will now offer incentives to community members who recommend 

successful pplicnts. The scope of the expnded progrm hs been discussed with community nd fithbsed groups who hve been encourged to seek out nd recommend individuls with service-orienttion 

chrcteristics nd to help the Detroit Police Deprtment incorporte the spirit of service into ptrol behvior. 

In ddition to expnding recruitment efforts, the deprtment used the HSS project s n opportunity to upgrde 

its web site. Upgrdes included recruitment streming videos nd online pplictions, informtion on the 

Recruiting Ambssdors Progrm nd the introduction of You Have Been Observed crds. The ltter re 

business crds tht re presented to potentil pplicnts telling them tht they hve been observed s hving 

the people skills nd ttitudes tht re needed for  creer in policing in the city of Detroit. 

Collterl to recruitment ctivities, the deprtment lunched  mrketing cmpign bsed on informtion from 

 seprte series of focus groups. The cmpign ws designed specificlly s reserch to gther bseline dt 

tht would support mrketing directed specificlly to minority pplicnts for police officer jobs in Detroit (see 

Appendix H) The mrketing cmpign, however, ws not introduced until much lter in the project becuse of 

significnt delys tht were the result of the requirements for Institutionl Review Bord pprovl. While the 

mrketing cmpign focus groups were completed nd provided rich informtion tht the deprtment found 

enlightening, these dt did not emerge until the project nered completion. 

Adding the community component: The Detroit Police Deprtment mde expnding the scope of its Recruiting 

Ambssdors Progrm s n HSS inititive  priority. Within this context, it sought to dd community 

members to wht ws n internl effort to give officers the incentive to identify potentil cndidtes nd 

bring successful recruits into the deprtment. To ccomplish this objective, the deprtment met weekly with  

rnge of community groups to discuss wht is involved in becoming  police officer in the city of Detroit. In 

these sessions, community orgniztions were encourged to register s mbssdors for the deprtment nd 

were provided with recruiting informtion s well s referrl crds tht could be used to trck the success of 

their efforts. At the end of ech recruiting cycle, deprtment members nd the community orgniztions tht 

provided the most successful pplicnts would be rewrded in  recognition ceremony. 

The Detroit Police Deprtment lso included the community in other components of the process, specificlly 

the orl bord interview. In Detroit, the interview tkes plce fter the bckground investigtion is completed 

but before the psychologicl ssessment is conducted. Although the deprtment hd dded  community 

member to the interview pnels before the introduction of HSS, the community did not hve the sme 

opportunity to rte the cndidtes s did sworn personnel. Consequently, their influence ws mrginlized. 

This procedure been chnged nd community representtives now provide  score for ech pplicnt tht is 

verged with the three scores from sworn pnel members. Moreover,  spirit of service rting dimension hs 

been dded to the interview formt. 

45 
Case Studies 

Finlly, the police deprtment hs included community representtives in its CompStt meetings. CompStt is  

mngement tool tht hs gined in populrity since its introduction by the New York City Police Deprtment 

in the 1990s. Essentilly, it purports to control crime by mking precinct commnders more ccountble for 

crime in their districts nd by providing them with rel-time informtion tht shows crime trends s they 

re occurring. This informtion provides opportunities to deploy officers nd implement trgeted strtegies 

where they re most needed. These decisions re presented t regulr meetings nd fully discussed by highlevel commnd of the deprtment. In engging the community in CompStt discussions, the Detroit Police 

Deprtment hs tken it to  very different level. 

Modifying selection strategies: Initilly, the Detroit Police Deprtment intended to focus its exmintion 

of selection strtegies on three components of its existing hiring process: the bckground investigtion, the 

finl orl bord, nd the psychologicl ssessment. On the dvice of its consultnt, Dr. Terry Eisenberg, the 

deprtment hs provided more structure to the bckground investigtion, hs encourged investigtors to seek 

informtion reltive to service when conducting reference checks, nd hs introduced  40-hour bckgroundinvestigtor trining progrm. For the most prt, however, the chnges mde to the current formt of the 

bckground investigtion nd to the psychologicl ssessment re reltively miniml to void diluting those 

components nd to llow them to continue wht they do best. Dr. Eisenberg, expressed concern bout trying 

to dd  service orienttion element to ech component, rguing tht this would present  piecemel pproch 

tht in the end would prove to be less effective. In contrst, rther thn do  little here nd  little there, he 

recommended considering the orl interview s the component with the gretest potentil to crete  criticl 

mss of informtion tht is needed to evlute the service orienttion effectively. 

Using these recommendtions, the modifiction of the orl interview process represents the most substntive 

chnge in determining  service orienttion. It now includes  series of questions tht relte specificlly 

to service orienttion, the ddition of  citizen representtive s  voting member of the bord, nd 

comprehensive trining for ll pnel members. The police deprtment lso plns to develop  guideline for the 

process. 

The current psychologicl ssessment component of the selection process comprises three elements: 

completion of the Lw Enforcement Assessment nd Development Report, n instrument tht mesures both 

for norml personlity chrcteristics nd clinicl pthology;  psychologicl/socil history questionnire; nd 

 clinicl interview. The Detroit Police Deprtment dded service-oriented questions to the psychologicl/ 

socil history questionnire. The questions elicit informtion bout hobbies nd service-relted ctivities such 

s volunteer or chrity work nd involvement with community service or nonprofit institutions. To dte, their 

impct hs not been fully ssessed. However, it ws believed tht the dditionl informtion would ssist in 

“screening in” rther thn “screening out” service oriented pplicnts. 

Finlly,  previously developed point system used to rnk ech cndidte is being modified to include credit 

for erlier volunteer experiences, residency in the community, nd previous employment in  service-oriented 

industry such s socil work. These three elements hve been dded to  group of 24 screening vribles 

previously developed by the police deprtment tht provide the core of informtion tht is evluted for ech 

cndidte. Exmples include, but re not limited to; entry-level Michign Commission of Lw Enforcement 

(MCOLE) test scores, eduction, job experience, nd orl bord criteri. With the ddition of the three serviceoriented elements, cndidtes re now rted on  27–point police officer selection system with finl scores rnk 

ordered into the existing bnds. Collterl to HSS, some of the hiring vribles hve been further modified 

to conform to the Americns with Disbilities Act requirements. Specificlly, the clinicl psychologicl 

ssessment nd physicl gility components of the system needed to be evluted s post-hire components. 

46 
Case Studies 

Institutionalization: The extensive internl mrketing nd the expnsion of the Recruiting Ambssdors 

Progrm re good benchmrks for institutionlizing the spirit of service. Community inclusion in the Orl 

Interview Bord nd the gol of providing community policing trining bsed on the knowledge skills nd 

bilities defined by the focus group(s) represent nother venue for institutionlizing chnge. The Detroit 

Police Deprtment continues to evlute  trining proposl produced by the consultnt engged to develop 

new trining. The deprtment remins stedfst in its belief tht the chnges in recruit nd in-service trining, 

s well s for the Citizens’ Police Acdemy re necessry to institutionlize the philosophy of community 

mindedness s the driving force of the Detroit Police Deprtment. The intent to conduct retroctive nlyses 

of pplicnts who were hired nd lter found to be unsuccessful is nother indictor of institutionlizing this 

philosophy, s is the effort to include citizens in the CompStt process. 

Unique Accomplishments 

The Detroit Police Deprtment’s work in HSS resulted in the following unique ccomplishements: 

• Expnsion of the Recruiting Ambssdors Progrm 

• Communictions Strtegy—Medi Summit 

• Involvement of Community in CompStt 

Recruiting Ambassadors Program: Intensifying n existing recruiting progrm by including the community 

s recruiting mbssdors demonstrtes how  deprtment cn build on internl cpcity in contrst to 

developing totlly new inititives. Within this context, the Detroit Police Deprtment chrged the community 

nd its own personnel with seeking out recruit cndidtes who embodied the spirit of service. Moreover, the 

deprtment illustrted the seriousness of its intent by providing incentives for police personnel nd community 

representtives who could bring in recruits who completed the process successfully. 

Communications strategy–media summit: Devising  comprehensive communictions strtegy tht included 

convening  highly successful medi summit to kick off HSS ws n effective wy to get hed of issues 

concerning recruitment nd hiring in Detroit. The summit drew ttention to how the deprtment ws chnging 

recruitment nd hiring nd provided the opportunity for the city to define the issues rther thn llowing 

newsppers or mgzines to do it. With the myor s the focl point of the summit, it ws cler tht city hll 

ws behind this inititive nd tht in itself drew further ttention. Eqully importnt ws the effort to let the 

city know tht the police deprtment ws engged in  serious effort to hire police recruits who demonstrted 

tht they were interested in the service prt of policing in contrst to n experience in dventure. 

Involvement of the community in CompStat: Bringing community representtives into the CompStt process 

clerly signifies tht the community role extends fr beyond recruitment nd hiring. In Detroit, the community 

now hs  role in providing input tht ffects how policing will be conducted in Detroit. Who knows the 

community better thn the citizens nd who cn give the commnders better dvice bout where crime is 

occurring nd why? It ws the knowledge of how this informtion could ffect crime tht drove the deprtment 

to consider including citizens in the CompStt process. 

47 
Case Studies 

Unique Challenges 

An overrching concern is tht the components of the Detroit Police Deprtment’s 

selection system remin somewht comprtmentlized nd the informtion gthered 

from one component is not lwys pssed on to the next. Even with the point system, it 

ppers to be difficult to develop the whole person perspective on ech cndidte when 

the system develops pplicnt informtion in wht ppers to be screening component 

silos. This concern is compounded by the lck of  trcking system to provide n 

ccounting of pplicnts moving through the different stges of the process. With the 

help of the Police Foundtion,6  trcking system will be developed tht should ddress 

this concern. 

The Detroit Police Deprtment lso encountered multiple chllenges in the roll-out of 

its mrketing cmpign, which ws delyed becuse of Institutionl Review Bord 

issues. Those delys culminted in concerns bout ongoing finncil support between 

the deprtment nd its contrctor nd ffected the scheduling of mrketing focus 

groups. Detroit hd hired Berg, Muirhed & Assocites, who subcontrcted with Moore 

Assocites, to convene focus groups tht would be observed through  two-wy mirror. 

Although the dt developed through this process proved to be quite enlightening, 

they were developed reltively lte in the process becuse of the consultnt contrctul 

issues. Consequently, the deprtment ws unble to meet its mrketing timelines. More 

importnt, it’s unble to use these vluble dt to cpitlize on the successful medi 

summit. 

The police deprtment lso fced other chllenges in refocusing its community policing 

efforts. Given tht the deprtment’s initil community policing efforts were directed t 

the precinct level nd focused on community policing units, community policing cme 

to be viewed s  speciliztion in contrst to n orgniztion-wide chnge in opertions. 

Consequently, mny opertionl units hd limited wreness of the HSS project nd its 

gols. Further, mintining interest in  project of this nture in  lrge deprtment cn 

be difficult t best, but prticulrly so s violent crime intensifies. 

Functioning under  consent decree7 presents further chllenges tht were unique to this 

HSS site though not unfmilir to other lrge cities. An unvoidble side effect of  

consent decree is the climte of uncertinty tht is creted both for the resources needed 

to implement the decree nd concerns bout the impct on current personnel. HSS should 

be quite comptible with chnges required by the federl government. 

6. Estblished in 

1970, the Police 

Foundtion,  nonprofit organization, 

hs conducted seminl 

reserch in police 

behvior, policy, nd 

procedure, nd works 

to trnsfer to locl 

gencies the best new 

informtion bout 

prctices for deling 

effectively with  

rnge of importnt 

police opertionl 

nd dministrtive 

concerns. Through 

its reserch, 

technicl ssistnce, 

technology, trining, 

nd informtion 

progrms, the 

foundtion helps 

police deprtments 

to cquire both the 

knowledge gined 

through reserch 

nd the tools needed 

to integrte tht 

knowledge into 

police prctices. For 

more informtion 

visit: www. 

policefoundtion.org 

7. A consent decree is 

n greement between 

the U.S. Deprtment 

of Justice nd  lw 

enforcement gency 

tht stipultes vrious 

reforms tht must be 

undertken by the lw 

enforcement gency. 

Typiclly,  monitor is 

ppointed to oversee 

the complince of the 

deprtment with the 

decree. 

Future of HSS in Detroit 

The Detroit Police Deprtment is committed to letting citizens know tht it is serious 

bout chnge nd bout creting  deprtment tht is community-minded. Eqully 

importnt re its efforts to communicte this sme messge to the men nd women of the 

Detroit Police Deprtment. No strnger to chllenge, the Deprtment remins stedfst in 

pressing forwrd to meet its gols nd continue to focus on recruiting cndidtes who re 

ble to interct with citizens becuse they understnd their culture nd re ble to bridge 

48 
Case Studies 

communiction gps. At the 2004 Mjor City Chiefs (MCC)8 meeting, Chief BullyCummings reported tht recent numbers of cndidte pplictions reched 1,500, which 

represents n unprecedented growth in interest for the position of police officer in the 

city of Detroit. 

At the 2005 MCC meeting, however, the Chief nnounced  restructuring of the 

deprtment tht ws brought bout by severe budget problems. This restructuring will 

result in the lying off of police officers, including new recruits, nd will impct the 

bility to hire new officers. Thus, just s Detroit ws chieving its mission to ttrct 

service oriented cndidtes—those who will give bck nd get more—budget relities 

limit the potentil to rech tht gol. Despite these serious chllenges, Detroit remins 

committed to mintining  level of diversity tht reflects the community nd to 

institutionlizing the spirit of service throughout the deprtment. 

8. Mjor City 

Chiefs (MCC) is 

n ssocition tht 

comprises more thn 

50 lw enforcement 

orgniztions in the 

United Sttes nd 

Cnd. MCC ws 

formed to provide 

 forum for police 

chiefs to discuss 

orgniztionl 

issues only relevnt 

to lrge police 

orgniztions. Current 

membership consists 

of lw enforcement 

executives whose 

deprtments serve 

 metropolitn re 

popultion of more 

thn 1.5 million or 

employ more thn 

1,000 sworn officers. 

Some gencies tht 

no longer meet this 

criteri hve been 

grndfthered into the 

ssocition. 

49 
Case Studies 

KING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE:
 

Accept the Challenge
 

In the King County (Wshington) Sheriff’s Office, Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS) ws the strting point for 

building  21st-century sheriff’s deprtment nd the impetus to fulfill  commitment to hire deputies, ccording 

to one officil, “Who wer the uniform on the community’s behlf.” Rther thn tret recruitment nd hiring in 

isoltion, the sheriff’s office set out to institutionlize  comprehensive performnce mngement system tht 

dvnced community policing s the nturl behvior for ll deputies, not just new recruits. It lso sw HSS s  

wy to further the development of the orgniztion by endorsing n investment in the people who performed the 

deputy sheriff function. 

King County’s involvement in HSS ws sperheded by two events. The first ws the sheriff’s office’s prticiption 

in former Attorney Generl Jnet Reno’s Police Integrity Working Groups in 1999; nd the second ws its 

involvement in the Rce nd Reconcilition Summit convened by the Ntionl Crime Prevention Council in 2001. 

Both inititives were prt of the U.S. Deprtment of Justice’s efforts to enhnce police integrity nd improve 

reltionships between the police nd community, prticulrly communities with diverse popultions. The inititives 

ddressed the differences in how the police nd the community sw situtions tht resulted in problems tht 

infringed on the civil liberties of citizens. More importnt, they illustrted long-stnding difficulties in the cpcity 

to communicte bout these problems. 

Both events creted  renewed sense of energy in the King County Sheriff’s Office s well s n wreness of the 

urgency to solve problems. This urgency ws reinforced by the fct tht in this 2,200-squre-mile county, home 

to 1.7 million people, 44 percent of the sheriff’s office budget comes from other jurisdictions tht contrct with 

King County for lw enforcement services. Hence, like mny sheriff gencies, the livelihood of the King County 

Sheriff’s Office is dependent on stisfying  rnge of constituencies tht expect professionl nd effective services 

tht re delivered with integrity. 

Following prticiption in these keystone events, nd under the ledership of then King County Sheriff Dve 

Reichert, the sheriff’s office sought to engge King County community nd deprtment personnel in how to best 

center its efforts. The overrching gol ws the development of  system tht could be linked to gency core vlues 

of ledership, integrity, service, nd temwork. Within this context, the sheriff’s office sought to implement  

prdigm chnge tht would incorporte qulity differences in hiring, retention, nd development of personnel— 

chnge tht would be consistent with gols nd objectives tht the community vlues. Within this frmework, the 

sheriff’s office envisioned HSS s its opportunity to engge in hiring prctices tht would relibly ttrct nd select 

employees whose skills nd bilities were comptible with effective community policing. 

History of the Project 

Before it becme involved in HSS, the King County Sheriff’s Office ws exploring ides bout performnce 

mngement tht were detiled in  deprtment white pper on internl system development. The pper included 

recruitment nd hiring in ddition to other performnce-relted elements. The sheriff’s office believed tht HSS 

would help it redefine its pproch to hiring deputies who re service-oriented nd to dvnce the intent to develop 

performnce tht reflected gency vlues. To chieve this objective, however, the sheriff’s office believed it ws 

necessry to gin n understnding of the bilities, competencies, nd behviors tht re consistent with the service 

orienttion nd to involve the community in brodening this understnding. Although  core group of stff ws the 

minsty of the project, they were supplemented by others who were perceived s thought leders throughout the 

gency, but there ws less emphsis on involving the community in ll fcets of the project thn in other sites. 

50 
Case Studies 

The core project stff nd thought leders comprised the steering committee nd they were joined by the 

externl consultnts hired to mnge nd complete the project. Following  limited competition, the sheriff’s 

office hired The Dunnette Group, Ltd., to help the committee members chieve their gols. Initilly, the full 

steering committee ws ble to meet with some regulrity but becuse of the extent of externl consultnt 

involvement nd the distnce of the consulting group’s loction (Minnepolis, Minnesot), coupled with 

trnsfers out of the sheriff’s deprtment, the committee ws unble to continue to meet regulrly. This 

rrngement did not interfere with substntive project ctivities but, becuse the project ws lrgely 

consultnt-driven, certin delys occurred tht were cused by consultnt schedules s well s collterl 

contrctul issues. Consequently, there ws some interference with timely internl review nd feedbck on 

project deliverbles. 

Project Goals 

The King County Sheriff’s Office gols involved introducing systemic chnge into the following 

components of the hiring processs continuum: 

• Recruitment strtegies 

• Mrketing strtegies 

• Clinicl psychologicl testing nd occuptionl screening 

• Involvement of the community 

• Orgniztionl chnge 

From the outset, it ws cler tht the King County Sheriff’s Office undertook  tsk tht ws fr more 

complex thn simply identifying HSS trits. As  result, it is difficult to highlight ech project gol 

independently becuse the sheriff’s office sought to build  system tht would introduce substntive chnge 

cross  rnge of orgniztionl vribles. These vribles included recruitment strtegies to ttrct deputies, 

the systems used to select them, nd the performnce pprisl system tht evlutes them. Subsequently, 

efforts of the sheriff’s office culminted in  model for generting n eligibility list tht methodologiclly 

combines ll selection components into  unit-weighted composite score for ech pplicnt. 

Chnges to the components of the hiring continuum hve been twofold nd include (1) the systemtic 

identifiction of job functions; nd (2) defining the required core competencies for service-oriented deputies. 

Together, these two bseline ctivities lid the foundtion for systemic chnge tht would define the mening 

of 21st century lw enforcement for King County. Further, they fcilitted the detiled exmintion of 

screening methods nd the development of content-vlid performnce rting scles. 

Identified Job Functions for KCSO Sheriff’s Deputies 

Job functions were identified through  combintion of focus group dt, individul interviews, nd  review 

of the literture on community policing. These dt informed  tsk nlysis tht detiled the following King 

County Sheriff’s Office job functions: 

• Ptrolling nd detecting crime 

• Assessing, nlyzing, nd responding to situtions 

• Collbortive problem-solving, networking, nd brokering community services 

• Creting good public reltions 

• Complying with lws nd embrcing deprtment ethics philosophy, policies, nd procedures 

• Working s  tem 

51 
Case Studies 

• Estblishing control in chotic situtions nd rresting offenders 

• Controlling trffic nd enforcing trffic lws 

• Investigting, gthering, nd preserving evidence 

• Documenting, writing, nd hndling pperwork 

• Prepring for nd testifying in court 

• Using technology nd tools 

• Lerning nd keeping up-to-dte 

Developing Core Competencies of Service Oriented Deputies 

The hert of the King County Sheriff’s Office strtegy linked the deputy sheriff job functions, defined through 

the tsk nlysis, with the core competencies for deputies t two different levels: level of mstery nd level of 

developmentl needs,  distinction tht is significnt to subsequent performnce pprisls. 

To chieve this gol, the sheriff’s office convened six focus groups, three of which comprised members of the 

community, nd three dditionl groups including n incumbent deputy focus group,  focus group of sergents, 

nd  focus group from the criminl justice community. The ltter included officils from district nd superior 

courts, the county’s juvenile nd dult detention deprtments, the prosecutor’s office nd the Office of Civil 

Rights Enforcement. 

In ech focus group the sheriff’s office scertined the following informtion: how well the job ctivities 

scribed to community policing re understood; wht competencies re needed to effectively perform those 

duties; where does one find people with those chrcteristics; nd how re they recruited. The informtion 

derived from the community focus groups helped to define the core competencies. These competencies defined 

which of the current ssessment instruments should be retined in the process nd fcilitted recommendtions 

for dding new instruments to the process. The end result ws  revised recommended bttery of selection 

instruments. 

To chieve the competency model gol, King County consultnts ensured tht collectively the dt from 

focus groups would be representtive of the ides of members of the generl community, from the criminl 

justice community, nd incumbent deputies. Specificlly to encourge community prticiption, the identified 

community members received letters of invittion but flyers lso were distributed t precincts nd the deputies 

were sked to invite other community leders who hd n interest in lw enforcement. Citizen cdemy 

prticipnts were lso invited. 

In ll of the groups, prticipnts were sked to respond to open-ended questions bout their expecttions of 

service-oriented deputies, the trits tht were required to fulfill this role, nd the job functions they expected 

deputies to perform. The consultnt used n itertive process wherein ech successive focus group ws informed 

by informtion developed in previous groups. This process ws instrumentl in defining the deputy sheriff job 

functions nd the core competencies needed to perform these functions. The dt were reviewed by the steering 

committee nd mngement tem with only minor revisions. 

The pproch to developing the community focus groups presented chllenges. Although the gol of the 

procedure ws to crete  heterogeneous informtion bse, mny members of the groups did not ttend the 

meetings when contrsted with the level of prticiption in the deputy focus groups. Moreover, the community 

groups were lrgely unfmilir with lnguge used to describe policing, such s collbortive problem solving. 

Despite these impediments, nd through the use of the itertive procedure, the consultnts were ble to gther 

sufficient dt to perform qulittive nlyses tht defined the requisite core competencies. These competencies, 

or constructs, chrcterized the mening of King County Sheriff’s Office lw enforcement nd provided the 

52 
Case Studies 

bsis for evluting the construct vlidity of other components of the selection process. These competencies 

lso were key to creting content-vlid job performnce rting scles,  unique contribution to HSS, s well s 

evidence of the extent of systemic chnge. 

The qualitative analysis identified the following service-oriented competencies: 

Problem solving nd judgment Energy 

Stress rection Writing skills 

Multitsking Reding skills 

Courge Memory 

Resourcefulness Sptil orienttion 

Assertiveness Visul cuity nd perception 

Integrity Physicl fitness 

Self–control Driving skill 

Work motivtion Bsic computer skills 

Dependbility Vriety orienttion 

Service orienttion Temwork 

Interpersonl skills Emotionl helth 

Orl communiction skills 

Occupational and Clinical Screening 

In contrst to other sites, the decision ws mde erly on tht screening tools should be the purview of those 

individuls with professionl expertise in the occuptionl screening res. Hence, though the community 

identified competencies, there ws no further community input on identifying occuptionl screening tools. 

The method of choice in this phse of the process involved  detiled udit by the consultnts nd review 

of existing met-nlyses. The udit reviewed technicl informtion on relibility nd vlidity of existing 

occuptionl screening methods to determine construct vlidity of select screening scle(s) tht best predict 

ech competency. Creful exmintion identified the competency constructs tht re currently ssessed s well 

s those constructs tht would need to be dded to the process to select in t the occuptionl screening phse 

of the screening system. 

The udit produced recommendtions for ssessing ech competency nd identified pproprite mesures nd 

ssessment tools tht were linked to the job functions. The Dunnette Group produced  comprehensive nd 

highly technicl report tht leds the reder through ech sequentil step of the process nd links specific tests 

to ech competency. Further, it provides n extensive review of  rnge of commercilly vilble instruments 

for ssessing ech competency. Supplementing this informtion is  seprte exmintion of group differences 

bsed on rce (including coefficient lph relibilities of test scles) tht re prticulrly relevnt to scles 

ssessing cognitive bility nd personlity chrcteristics. 

The Dunnette Group performed  similr udit for the clinicl screening phse nd mde specific 

recommendtions for screening out cndidtes who re unlikely to do well. The results of tht udit 

depicted links between competency constructs nd  vriety of existing psychologicl test scles tht cn be 

dministered both before nd fter hiring. Of the clinicl personlity tests currently used by the King County 

Sheriff’s Office (MMPI-2 nd the Cliforni Personlity Inventory), the Dunnette Group recommended 

ssessing three competency constructs using these instruments. They include stress rection, self-control, nd 

emotionl helth. Moreover, Dunnette recommended using  compenstory selection system to ssess these 

nd other competencies insted of  pss-fil process or the development of holistic clinicl impressions. 

53 
Case Studies 

Compensatory Selection Model 

The recommendtion to use  compenstory model is in strong contrst to the multiplehurdle pproch tht trditionlly hs been used in lw enforcement selection. The 

multiple-hurdle pproch ssesses ech cndidte on one component t  time nd if 

cndidtes successfully meet the requirements of tht component, they re pssed on to the 

next component. In contrst,  compenstory system combines mesures from  rnge of 

differentil predictors including ll competencies nd cross ll components. Using  unitweighted metric, this model produces  composite of relible nd vlid informtion specific 

to ech cndidte. 

Marketing and Recruiting 

In the King County Sheriff’s Office, mrketing nd recruiting ctivities were treted s 

inititives seprte from the screening emphsis. In this phse of the project, the sheriff’s 

office engged  medi contrctor, Pop! Multimedi, to help develop  strtegic mrketing 

pln directed t redesigning nd improving its web site with the intention of serving the 

community t lrge s well s ttrcting service-oriented recruits. 

The web site tht eventully emerged is user friendly nd emphsizes community ctivities 

s well s the trditionl work of deputies in simple, friendly text. It includes testimonils 

from current deputies tht give recruits  personlized version of the job of deputy sheriff. 

In ddition, the site contins informtion bout crime prevention, nnounces upcoming 

dtes for the Citizens’ Police Acdemy, nd seeks informtion from citizens tht could help 

solve current criminl cses. Since the site ws introduced lter in the project, nd becuse 

of the previously cited issues relted to the use of consultnts, no dt re vilble bout 

its effectiveness in chieving recruiting gols. However, the King County Sheriff’s Office 

presents extensive informtion on how to crete strtegies to develop user-friendly web 

sites nd on how to work with vendors to chieve tht gol.9 

9 The completed 

King County Sheriff’s 

Office Website is 

locted t: www. 

kingcountysheriffjobs. 

com. 

Organizational Change 

The King County Sheriff’s Office dpted  three-phsed pproch to effect orgniztionl 

chnge tht involved chnges in recruitment strtegies, in the selection system, nd in how 

it ssessed deputy performnce. Further, it linked informtion on job functions, required 

competencies, nd the test scles used to ssess them, to performnce pprisl rting 

scles. Together, ll of this informtion incresed the content nd construct vlidity of the 

sheriff’s office’s performnce mngement system supported by HSS. As such, the work 

presents  solid model for considertion when institutionlizing orgniztionl chnge. 

The performnce mngement system fcilitted by HSS represents  chnge in emphsis 

when compred to trditionl selection reserch. Further, it shows how  well-conceived 

hiring project cn introduce vitl chnge into n orgniztion. Centrl to this effort ws the 

guiding principle tht drove HSS in the King County Sheriff’s Office nd which defined 

it s more thn  hiring project. HSS ws frmed s the foundtion of orgniztionl 

systemic chnge tht would ffect criticl humn resource systems. The sheriff’s office ws 

cler tht insted of revising strtegies imed only t recruit deputies, HSS would ffect the 

creer life of ll deputies. Clerly, the link to performnce pprisl helps to ccomplish 

tht objective. 

54 
Case Studies 

Unique Accomplishments 

• Developed core competencies with links to existing ssessment tools 

• Developed  model eligibility list 

• Developed  service-oriented performnce pprisl 

Developed core competencies with links to existing assessment tools: The creful development of core 

competencies tht reflect service-oriented lw enforcement is  considerble chievement. The work of the 

King County Sheriff’s Office provides  cler definition of the job functions of  deputy in  community 

policing deprtment nd links these functions to the core competencies required to perform these functions. 

Moreover, using  construct vlidity strtegy to define the competency model clerly strengthens the credibility 

of this body of work. 

The linking of competencies to existing occuptionl nd clinicl ssessment tools through the uditing process 

tkes dvntge of the scientific evidence tht hs supported commercilly vilble tools in ccordnce with 

lws nd published guidelines for the use of psychologicl screening in employee selection. These guidelines 

include The Uniform Guidelines on Employees Selection Procedures, the 1990 Americns with Disbilities Act, 

nd the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (Americn Eductionl Reserch Assocition, the 

Americn Psychologicl Assocition, nd the 1999 Ntionl Council for Mesurement in Eduction). 

Consequently, the informtion developed for the King County Sheriff’s Office provides  substntive menu 

of existing ssessment tools tht cn be trnsported nd used to ssess identified competencies. Mny of these 

tools re vlid predictors of performnce in occuptions with similrities to those of deputy sheriff, therefore, 

trnsporting them to the King County Sheriff’s Office selection process dds incrementl vlidity nd increses 

the predictive power of the pre–employment ssessment. This feture of the project provides  welth of 

informtion tht hs not been vilble previously nd mkes  significnt contribution to the selection of 

service-oriented deputies. 

Developed a model eligibility list: The development of  model for creting n eligibility list tht combines ll 

components of the selection process hs the potentil to crete  mesure reflecting the whole-person service 

orienttion of cndidtes. Applying the compenstory model t the entry level of ssessment would prove to be 

 mjor chnge to trditionl prctices. Although cceptnce of this model will require continued negotitions 

with county personnel, the fct tht it is being considered represents the potentil for  mjor chnge in the 

hiring processes used for public sfety employment. It is  significnt contribution tht hs emerged through 

the work of HSS. 

Developed a service-oriented performance appraisal: The development of content-vlid performnce rting 

scles dvnces the cretion of  performnce pprisl system tht will fcilitte institutionlizing the service 

orienttion in the King County Sheriff’s Office. 

The ltter ws built on the tsks nd ctivities identified in ech job function nd which re defined t two 

different performnce levels: mstery level performnce nd needs improvement. The performnce pprisl 

rting scles re the outcome of greed-on dimensions of deputy sheriff performnce on content-vlid 

performnce stndrds nd incorporte the core competencies defined in the job nlysis phse of the project. 

As such, they demonstrte how project phses were integrted to fcilitte chnging the selection system for 

King County deputy sheriffs nd evluting their subsequent job performnce. 

55 
Case Studies 

Unique Challenges 

The King County Sheriff’s Office presents the most technicl pproch to ssessing cndidtes. In so doing, 

they relied lmost exclusively on consultnts to complete the HSS project. Using the consultnt-bsed model 

ment tht work products were completed on consultnt schedules nd frequent delys were encountered 

becuse consultnt products hd to be pproved by the deprtment to stisfy deprtment nd county personnel 

criteri. Consequently, frequent bck-nd-forth exchnges occurred before finl greement could be chieved. 

As might be expected, these exchnges inevitbly creted communiction glitches tht resulted in further delys 

while they were being resolved. Resolution ws generlly forthcoming nd the delivery of  finl product ws 

not ffected. However, becuse of the delys it ws not lwys possible for the King County Sheriff’s Office to 

mintin its ctivities within the time frme of the grnt. 

The exclusive use of consultnts in ny project cretes  dependency on externl sources. While this type of 

dependency cn be fvorble becuse of the expertise tht consultnts bring to the project, it lso cn crete 

impediments if there re differences in how bsic concepts re interpreted. For instnce, consultnts my hve 

different perceptions of wht community involvement mens or my differ in their understnding of terms used 

in service-oriented lw enforcement, such s problem solving, prtnerships, or the crime-prevention emphsis. 

As  result, initil drfts of end products my reflect more the perception of consultnts thn those of the 

customer. Clerly, steering committees nd fcilitted focus groups re helpful in over-riding this difficulty but 

they need to be constructed crefully nd fcilittors need to hve brod conceptul knowledge of the subject 

mtter. 

Future of HSS in King County 

At the conclusion of the progrm, the King County Sheriff’s Office hd produced  significnt body of work 

tht increses the content nd construct vlidity of its performnce mngement system. By linking recruitment, 

hiring, nd performnce to the service orienttion, the sheriff’s office hs mde gret strides in creting  

process to institutionlize vlue-bsed performnce for newly hired deputies. The proposed revision of its 

complete selection system to mke it comptible with community policing, nd the detiled explntion of how 

ech component cn be evluted to produce  service-oriented eligibility list, speks volumes for fcilitting 

requisite longitudinl vlidtion nd for creting institutionl chnge. 

56 

Chapter Four 

Commonalities 

Across HSS Sites 
Commonalities Across HSS Sites 

Commonalities Across HSS Sites
 

Support of the Law Enforcement Chief Executive 

All sites hd the support of the lw enforcement chief executive officer (CEO) nd enjoyed  

strong level of commitment despite the fct tht chnging selection strtegies cn crete risk 

for the CEO. Their commitment ws reflected in decisions to devote in-kind resources to the 

project, including stff designted to mnge the progrm, use of deprtment fcilities to house 

the project nd relted project ctivities, s well s greement to prticipte in updting recruiting 

informtion through deprtment web sites, nd contributing dvertising funds to the projects. 

In three of the sites, there ws  chnge in CEO midwy through the project; in nother site the 

CEO decided to run for  higher office; nd in still nother, the CEO nnounced his intention 

to retire. All sites experienced  thret to the ledership originlly responsible for involvement 

in the project. This fctor is not tht unusul when considered within the frmework of the 

verge tenure of  lw enforcement CEO, which is pproximtely 3 yers.10 Fortuntely, the 

new CEOs continued the commitment to the HSS project nd their endorsements sustined the 

momentum so tht the project did not lose ground. Their commitment reflects well on the sttus 

of community policing nd the dpttion of  service orienttion s the smrt wy to deliver 

policing services. 

10. Kirchhoff, 

Willim E., Chrlotte 

Lnsinger nd Jmes 

Burck. Command 

Performance: 

Career Guide for 

Police Executives. 

Wshington: Police 

Executive Reserch 

Forum, 1999. 

Steering Committees 

Steering or dvisory committees were integrl to project ctivities t ech site nd were 

instrumentl in providing multidisciplinry feedbck nd guidnce throughout the life of the 

project. Although the composition of the committees vried cross sites, there is little question 

tht they brought fresh ides to ge-old recruitment nd selection issues. Some included 

representtion only from intct community groups while others combined cdemics, reserch 

consultnts, nd the community. The ltter model provided greter diversity in the expertise 

brought to the project but in some instnces this diversity lso produced conflicting opinions. 

Despite differences in opinion, most of which were eventully resolved, such committees or 

dvisory groups were importnt to enriching the project nd helped stretch the imgintion bout 

wht could be ccomplished in  federlly funded project. 

Checks and Balances 

Despite strong commitment to HSS, ll sites encountered requirements for ensuring tht 

pproprite checks nd blnces were implemented throughout the project. They rnged from 

getting pprovl nd review of mrketing mterils to vetting ll recommendtions through 

pproprite sources. Checks nd blnces sources typiclly involved executive commnders, 

locl officils, humn resource deprtments, nd personnel responsible for civil service 

requirements. In some instnces, engging the ltter strengthened the cpcity to negotite 

chnge in stndrd selection procedures. Union representtives lso cted s sfegurds in the 

checks nd blnces process nd dvocted for ssurnces tht recommended chnges would 

not compromise collective brgining greements even though recruit ssessments generlly 

re not the purview of collective brgining. Finlly, the checks nd blnce process served s 

 mens to mrket the project internlly nd brodened the network of people who hd  firm 

59 
Commonalities Across HSS Sites 

understnding of wht the deprtment ws trying to chieve while lso dispelling ny misconceptions. These 

sme people could then become dvoctes for growing HSS s  significnt chnge in the orgniztionl 

culture. At ll sites, the checks nd blnces review process continued throughout the course of the project nd 

ws ongoing even t the end of the project. 

Community Engagement 

Engging the community is t the core of community policing nd is wht sets it prt from the professionl 

model of policing. HSS rised community enggement to  new level tht goes beyond shring informtion 

nd solving problems. By engging the community to prticipte in  fundmentl nd criticl deprtment 

process—recruiting nd hiring recruits—citizens influenced strtegies nd outcomes of n importnt lw 

enforcement process. As such, their involvement hd significnt policy implictions. 

Ech site developed wys to involve the community nd promoted enggement ctivities tht were firly 

consistent. Citizens were engged in designing web sites nd in creting the messges tht defined the 

prticulr gency. All sought the community’s help in identifying service-oriented chrcteristics tht were 

linked to community policing ctivities. They lso sought the communities’ help in developing n pplicnt 

pool of potentil recruits who could meet these qulifictions. In essence, community members were 

encourged to become djunct recruiters. They reched out to people who typiclly my not hve considered  

creer in lw enforcement, did not see themselves s police officers, nd/or my not hve seen their previous 

job experiences in service-oriented industries s hving ny links to police work. At some sites this level 

of enggement resulted in new prtnerships such s Burlington’s lignment with the Community Economic 

Development Office nd Detroit’s prtnership with Empowerment Zones. 

Community enggement becme  hllmrk event t ech site. This level of involvement clerly 

communicted the messge tht the lw enforcement gency ws interested in  new wy of doing business 

tht included the community s its prtner. 

Use of Focus Groups 

A collterl ctivity of community enggement involved the use of focus groups. These groups involved 

both citizens nd lw enforcement officers but differed cross sites in how they were used nd the depth of 

informtion tht ws gthered. Some used the focus group model s n open-ended discussion group while 

others used  reserch prdigm to effect structured dt collection. Whtever the model, it becme something 

of  stndrd t ech site with the exception of Burlington, Vermont. 

Despite initil trepidtion bout working with the police, the focus groups proved to be  vluble eductionl 

process for ll prticipnts. Both the community nd officers lerned from ech other nd soon relized tht 

they were not tht fr prt on issues involving public sfety. From the community perspective, they lerned 

tht it is not esy to become  police officer nd tht cndidtes go through  rigorous selection process. It 

ws not  cvlier system where choices re bsed on fvoritism, bised perceptions, or who you know. This 

messge is importnt for citizens to understnd, prticulrly in those communities where there hve been 

crimonious reltionships with lw enforcement. Conversely, officers lerned tht the community ws more 

supportive thn previously believed nd tht they brought vlue to the process. 

Despite  widespred belief tht the community would embrce the opportunity to prticipte, the sites found 

tht they hd to go the extr mile to ensure prticiption. Defining expecttions, ensuring tht their input 

would be tken seriously, nd respecting their time were criticl to success. Moreover, those sites tht were 

ble to py  stipend for citizen prticiption hd fewer no-shows. 

60 
Commonalities Across HSS Sites 

Marketing/Outreach 

All sites engged in some form of imge mngement through extensive medi cmpigns tht defined 

the vlues of lw enforcement, rther thn letting the populr medi define them. Imge mngement ws 

reflected through unique dvertising cmpigns tht developed deprtment brnds nd through new or revised 

web sites tht brodcst key messges creted to resonte with the groups tht they were trying to rech. 

Beyond dvertising, these efforts lso produced new wys to spred fctul informtion bout the benefits, 

rewrds, nd chllenges of  lw enforcement creer, s well s informtion bout wht the lw enforcement 

gency ws trying to ccomplish. In dedicting resources to mrketing, ech site chnged how nd wht it 

communicted to the public bout its gencies. Their efforts went fr beyond the trditionl sttic brochures or 

stndrd trifolds with ction photogrphs tht re circulted t job firs. Rther, they resulted in full-fledged 

dvertising cmpigns tht llowed ech gency to tell  compelling story. 

Institutionalizing Community Involvement 

This report showcses mny exmples of community involvement. With the exception of Hillsborough 

County, however, community inclusion in the orl interview bord represents the selection component tht 

ws most consistently pplied cross sites. The sites using orl bords dedicted their efforts to ensure tht 

citizen prticiption would be more thn window dressing. They devoted the necessry time nd ttention to 

structuring the interview to incorporte it s  vible component of the public employment selection process. 

In some instnces this involved creting  stndrdized set of questions tht followed  script s well s the 

development of  scoring key to ensure the relibility of independent rtings of the interview dt. Most 

greed tht community bord members would need trining but would not require n extensive indoctrintion 

to the brod spectrum of lw enforcement ctivities. Trining, however, would need to go beyond interviewing 

skills nd should include instruction on providing rtings of pplicnts, disregrding extrneous informtion 

presented by pplicnts, nd voiding unlwful questions. Consequently, some of the sites re developing orl 

interview guides to use in this process. Further, most re tking the position tht these guides should be used 

by lw enforcement personnel s well s by the citizens who prticipte in the interview. 

In some sites, community presence in orl bord interviews hs been extended to include citizen prticiption 

in promotionl interviews s well s involvement in the trining of new recruits. This level of inclusion 

drills down to institutionlizing HSS by ffecting the internl nd externl belief systems of the orgniztion 

nd the community. It provides strong evidence of how HSS becme  driving force for chnge nd further 

institutionlized community policing in prticipting gencies nd the communities they serve. 

Use of Consultants 

Most sites recognized tht they did not hve the expertise tht ws required to mke substntive chnges 

in recruitment nd selection. Most used well–known consultnts who hd credibility with lw enforcement 

to ssist them in developing significnt prts of the project, prticulrly those elements reltive to the 

occuptionl nd psychologicl ssessment phses of the selection process. The downside ws tht they did not 

lwys gree with recommendtions mde by the consultnts nd were left with reports contining divergent 

opinions. Frequently, this divergence enriched the project. Conversely, resolving conflicting informtion cn 

present chllenges to ny project becuse of the potentil to crete impediments to chieving finl concurrence 

in the gency review process. Fortuntely, in most sites the conflicts were reconciled primrily becuse of the 

predominnt commitment to the overrching philosophy of community policing. Consequently, the momentum 

ws sustined. 

61 
Commonalities Across HSS Sites 

Involvement of Unions 

All sites greed tht the endorsement of their respective lbor unions would be criticl to introducing chnge 

into the deprtment. Consequently, most reched out to the union nd some invited the union to prticipte 

on steering or dvisory committees. Actul prticiption of unions ws limited, however, perhps becuse the 

HSS focus ddressed potentil cndidtes, not existing union membership. Most sites greed tht their unions 

were generlly less interested in pre–employment issues. It ws pprent, however, tht the outrech ws 

importnt to keeping the unions informed of progress nd ensuring them tht collective brgining greements 

would not be ffected by HSS. This ssurnce ws importnt to the successful conclusion of HSS. Although 

there ws no direct union endorsement of HSS, collectively there were no instnces of union resistnce cross 

sites. This ws prticulrly importnt in Detroit, where unions were most influentil, nd where their lck of 

opposition ws viewed s  victory. Moreover, the good-fith effort to involve the unions t ll sites becme n 

effective internl mrketing tool both for the success of HSS nd for sustining community policing. 

Psychological and Occupational Testing 

The sites found tht modifying the ctul processes used in psychologicl nd occuptionl testing ws 

more difficult thn initilly expected. Test stndrdiztion is criticl for employment selection processes nd 

involves professionl prctices tht preclude cvlier chnges to test items. Moreover, fctoril nlyses of test 

dimensions evluted in specific instruments nd reported vlidity studies hve been developed with scientific 

rigor. As such, it would be  complicted process to lter these dimensions nd generlly not recommended. 

Consequently, in lieu of developing  new test—n extremely lengthy nd rigorous process— more relistic 

lterntive involved exmining commercilly vilble current tests to determine their cpcity to predict 

service-oriented performnce. To implement this strtegy, core ctivities of the selection infrstructure first 

need to be chnged by creting  job nlysis linked to community policing, systemticlly defining serviceoriented trits, nd then developing the core competencies ssocited with the service orienttion. 

Although ech site did not engge in ll these ctivities simultneously, three of the sites introduced significnt 

chnge to core elements of the selection infrstructure. Further, ll lerned from ech other of the need to 

use pproprite methodology to mke these chnges nd how to develop long-rnge plns for longitudinl 

vlidtion of the processes developed through HSS. As such, their work will continue long fter the conclusion 

of HSS. 

62 

Chapter Five 

Lessons Learned 
Lessons Learned 

HSS Lessons Learned 

The experiences of the five sites provide  number of lessons lerned tht re reflected in  set of common themes. 

Prevlent underlying themes tht cut cross ll sites included the reliztion tht reching out to other gencies nd 

community groups provided  form of trnsprency tht ws vlued. Also, they recognized tht  cookie-cutter pproch 

ws best voided if true orgniztionl chnge ws to occur. Moreover, ll concurred tht prticipting in HSS helped 

them to develop  deeper nd more intensive level of knowledge bout their respective gencies. Aside from those 

themes, most sites encountered chllenges s they ttempted to introduce substntil chnge into fundmentl processes 

of their gencies. Consequently, reders of this report my see how  coherency developed cross sites s reflected in  

set of core issues tht influenced the project. As such, others plnning to tke on similr projects cn benefit from the 

lessons lerned through the HSS experience. 

Pre–employment Research Is Serious Business and Decidedly Complex 

Pre–employment reserch is complex nd cn be expected to tke more time thn originlly nticipted. Becuse of the 

seriousness of the outcome, the potentil to keep someone from ginful employment, or hiring someone inpproprite 

to crry out the policing role, the sites found tht plns to develop new hiring models could not be ccomplished within 

the time frme of  grnt. This ws less of n issue in chnging recruitment strtegies thn it ws with developing model 

profiles tht could be used to predict performnce. In the ltter sitution, methodologicl issues—primrily smll smple 

sizes, lrge numbers of selection vribles, nd differentil vlidity strtegies—ffected the cpcity for prediction nd 

clerly spek to the need for longitudinl vlidtion of processes developed t ll sites. Collterlly, shrpening the 

reserch question(s) proved to be criticl in determining if the end product would be primrily descriptive or predictive. 

Finlly, the lck of  trditionl comprehensive job nlysis tht clerly defined the tsks ssocited with community 

policing, nd the keystone of predictive vlidtion, proved to be  limiting fctor for most of the sites. 

Although job nlysis/job function exercises fcilitted the systemtic identifiction of desirble chrcteristics of 

service-oriented police nd were possible within the scope of the grnt,  comprehensive job nlysis provided to ech 

site would hve enhnced the project. Notwithstnding the need to tilor the job nlysis to the specific tsks unique 

to ech site,  common set of service-oriented tsks would hve provided them with  unified perspective t the outset 

of the project. Despite this limittion, ech site engged in extensive work tht produced  successful definition of the 

trits, chrcteristics, nd behviors needed for community policing. Moreover, their work hs lid the groundwork for 

developing  job nlysis tht includes the knowledge, skills, nd bilities inherent to community policing. Tht, in itself, 

is  remrkble ccomplishment. 

Given the complexity of selection reserch, the methodologicl issues tht emerged, nd the implictions for mjor 

chnge to existing selection systems, it is glringly pprent tht there is  need to build in  process for reconciling 

methodologicl differences t the outset of  project. Rther thn wit for these issues to emerge, it would be beneficil 

to nticipte tht methodologicl considertions will surfce tht deserve debte nd resolution. The debte cn be 

fruitful nd enrich the project but cn lso dely progress in chieving project gols; therefore,  front-end process 

tht llows for the full explortion of the merits of diverging professionl opinions nd  method to resolve conflicting 

opinions needs to be considered. 

Involving the Community—Not As Easy As It Sounds 

Even though the Community Policing Consortium nd the demonstrtion sites were conversnt in engging the 

community in  wide vriety of contexts nd thought they knew wht the community wnted, they cknowledged tht 

the enggement ws  decidedly more complex tsk thn initilly nticipted. Engging the community in vrious grnt 

ctivities, prticulrly focus groups, required more thn simply issuing n invittion to come to  meeting. Sites found 

65 
Lessons Learned 

tht they needed to contct citizens erly nd often to ensure tht they reserved dequte time in their schedules 

to llow for full prticiption. They lso found it beneficil to develop  lrge list of potentil volunteers so tht 

they were not using the sme people ll the time. The ltter prctice not only enriched the qulity of informtion, 

it voided impositions on citizens’ time. Within this context, some of the sites found tht they hd greter success 

when using retirees. Despite initil concerns tht the retirees might provide  skewed perspective, they found tht 

these individuls were more likely to own their own homes, hd  strong investment in improving the community, 

nd lso hd the time to prticipte on  regulr bsis. Conversely, cution needs to be exercised tht some groups, 

such s retirees or community dvoctes of policing, my be viewed s fns of lw enforcement nd my provide  

limited perspective bout wht is needed in service-oriented lw enforcement officers. Further, ddressing citizens 

who represent the ge groups tht policing gencies re trying to ttrct cn provide vluble informtion even 

though it my not be presented s  fvorble or positive endorsement of the deprtment. 

The sites lso found tht despite initil outrech, some citizens were still hesitnt to become involved nd 

questioned if their input would be tken seriously. The sites, therefore, found it necessry to spend time prepring 

community members to prticipte nd in frming expecttions s well s nticipted outcomes to enhnce the 

probbility tht they would ttend scheduled sessions. Some found tht pying  stipend helped to reduce no 

shows, while others tht were unble to mnge  stipend found other mens of recognition. Showing interest in 

recognizing nd rewrding prticiption conveys  messge tht citizen time is respected nd tht their prticiption 

is vlued. This pproch lso lets the community know t the outset tht this project is more thn business s usul. 

Although the focus groups were enormously useful, they did not lwys mterilize s plnned. Even under the 

best of circumstnces, once the groups were underwy the sites discovered tht there were lnguge brriers 

between police nd the community nd tht they scribed different menings to the sme words. Frequently, there 

were distinct nd substntive differences in their concepts of community policing nd mny community members 

hd little understnding of wht ws involved in collbortive problem solving. Further, community members 

focused on how citizens were treted while officers emphsized public sfety concerns s  priority. As might be 

expected, citizens focused on globl issues while officers were more tsk oriented. In this regrd, citizens tlked 

bout reltionships, informtion shring, nd pprecition of cultures, in ddition to the messges conveyed through 

residency requirements nd the physicl ppernce of officers. Police officers tlked bout community policing 

in terms of direct service, engging in public reltions, being responsive to situtions in contrst to incidents, nd 

viewed collbortion from the frmework of citizens providing them with extr eyes nd ers to report on crime in 

the community. 

Once initil concerns bout prticiption were ddressed nd citizens becme involved in the project, they showed 

interest in prticipting in  widening level of ctivities, some of which exceeded the scope of the focus groups. 

As they becme involved in other ctivities, such s orl bord prticiption nd scoring of interviews, the sites 

found tht  trining component nd specific guidelines were helpful to lly their concerns nd to ensure tht the 

informtion gthered ws relible nd consistent. 

Creating the Internal-External Balance 

Given  long history of mutul distrust between citizens nd the police in mny communities, it is not unusul 

tht officers nd community members hd initil misgivings bout the project. Consequently, internl mrketing 

becme s essentil to success s did the externl outrech. Prepring tenured officers for how these chnges would 

enrich the deprtment ws criticl to mnging their expecttions nd llying fers tht their job security would 

be jeoprdized. Forecsting nticipted outcomes ws lso importnt to reducing uncertinty, which extended to 

commnd s well s line officers. 

66 
Lessons Learned 

Clerly, there is  need to internlize chnge before it cn be institutionlized it. Tht involves prepring the 

entire deprtment to chieve internl buy-in. Preprtion includes involving stkeholders cross the gency 

t the outset of the project, following up with ongoing publicity nd sttus reports bout how the project is 

dvncing, conducting roll-cll presenttions, nd encourging officers nd deputies to prticipte in project 

ctivities. These ctivities first need to be supported by  commitment from the executive level of mngement 

tht enbles the cretion of  chnge process. 

These sme fctors pply to steering nd dvisory committees nd ongoing focus groups. To crete the blnce 

between internl nd externl cceptnce, interest in prticiption needs to be reinforced continully nd 

prticipnts need to be updted on the sttus of the project, s well s the glitches encountered, to keep them 

informed bout how step-by-step progress is being mde. Slogns nd brochures will fll on def ers unless 

the internl nd externl constituencies re fully prepred for wht chnge will entil nd how it will ffect 

them. Without this blnce, ownership is diffused, people lose interest, nd the gols of the project become 

sidetrcked. 

Identifying a Common Core of Service-Oriented Traits 

Identifying service-oriented trits tht were greed on by ll stkeholders in the process ws more complicted 

thn initilly envisioned. It ws mde more difficult becuse of the extnt lists of trits including those from 

stte Police Officer Stndrds nd Trining Commissions (POST), humn resource deprtments, nd those 

identified in the HSS reserch. Winnowing down to  number of trits tht encpsulted wht the deprtment 

wnted to sy to the community becme  criticl tsk tht ws mde esier when sites used subject mtter 

experts nd job nlysis nd job function exercises. Further, sites tht used  reserch strtegy were more 

successful in identifying  common core of trits tht stisfied relevnt groups nd fully identified wht 

service-orienttion mens. 

Although ll sites developed lists of trits nd chrcteristics, they vried in length s well s dt-collection 

methodologies. Some chrcteristics re commonly identified cross sites nd crete  common core of serviceoriented trits. They include integrity, courge, temwork, people-oriented interpersonl skills tht reflect 

n interest in nd n wreness of others, strong communiction skills, nd  work ethic tht demonstrtes 

dediction nd responsibility. They lso include  mesure of emotionl helth tht ws vribly described s 

temperment, frustrtion tolernce, or bility to mnge stress. Together, these trits pper to reflect  strong 

component of emotionl intelligence,  dimension tht is just now strting to emerge in the literture on the 

psychologicl screening of police pplicnts. 

Access to Personnel Data Created Common Issues 

The need to ccess personnel dt ws  common feture cross sites. These dt crete the bseline for 

mesuring overll success of the inititives becuse they provide relevnt bckground or performnce dt 

bout successful officers or deputies. However, redy ccess to personnel dt is difficult, s it should be, given 

the confidentil nture of the informtion. Tht ws  prticulr concern of the Institutionl Review Bord 

becuse of the involvement of humn subjects. Overcoming these issues requires commitment nd support 

from prent jurisdictions nd speks to the need to crete  criticl mss of supporters t the outset, including 

representtives from humn resources, civil service, nd stte POSTs. Coordintion with regultory gencies 

is criticl to ensure consistency in procedures nd to void dupliction. Further, this coordintion is importnt 

to mke sure tht there tht there is n greed on use of definitions nd to void the pitflls of mking chnges 

tht re inconsistent with guidnce provided by regultory gencies. Finlly, keeping these groups in the loop 

fcilittes communiction nd reduces misunderstndings tht cn hve n impct on the project. 

67 
Lessons Learned 

Personnel Tracking Systems 

Collterl to the concerns relted to ccessing personnel dt ws the need for personnel trcking systems, 

the foundtion of effective personnel mngement. As such, they my not be seen s directly relted to the 

objectives of HSS; however, they re criticl to ny project tht cretes chnge in recruiting nd hiring. They 

tke on dded significnce becuse of their cpcity to provide bseline dt for guging the success of 

chnges brought bout through the project. Moreover, they re criticl for longitudinl vlidtion of ssessment 

processes tht re chnged s  result of the project. In the sites tht did not systemticlly trck the progress 

of recruits through the system, specificlly where nd why they dropped out, it ws more difficult to ccount 

for success rtes of the new inititives. This issue is compounded when community members prticipte in 

the process becuse of the need to mintin confidentility of hiring dt nd personl informtion. The use of 

ggregte dt is not precluded under these conditions, nd implementing this prctice needs to be considered 

to fully ssess the effectiveness of chnge. 

Incompatible Information Systems 

A multitude of informtion exchnge problems were encountered tht re synonymous with the informtion 

ge. There were problems with completeness of internl filing systems nd in trnsmitting personnel 

informtion. In some instnces, these problems resulted in  lbor-intensive process of mnully redcting file 

informtion, such s personl identifiers, tht need sfegurding becuse of EEO nd confidentility concerns. 

They lso need to be considered for their relevnce to collective brgining greements governing tenured 

employees, prticulrly if using incumbent employees in selection pilot studies. Also, there were multiple 

instnces of dt trnsfer problems, prticulrly between the systems of expert consultnts nd deprtment 

systems, which hve implictions for integrting legcy systems into new systems. Much of this ws cused by 

incomptible sttisticl softwre nd  lck of interoperble systems,  common problem in lw enforcement 

gencies. In mny instnces, it ws pprent tht the informtion exchnge problems were not nticipted t the 

outset of the project nd cme bout more s n fterthought. Sufficient plnning t the beginning of project 

would hve precluded the significnt delys creted by incomptible systems. 

Institutional Review Board (IRB) 

IRB processes re instrumentl to ensuring the integrity of projects like HSS. Despite their necessity, they cn 

dely implementtion of the reserch components of  project nd crete other problems such s disruption 

of proposed scheduling, delys in project ctivities, nd loss of consultnt time. There ws generl greement 

cross sites tht there is  need to define IRB requirements erly in the process nd tht review nd pprovl 

should be grnted before the project officilly commences,  fctor tht is prticulrly importnt when engging 

in test vlidtion strtegies. The primry issue involved in IRB pprovl for HSS sites relted to minimizing 

exposure to humn subjects, not unusul in projects using incumbent officers nd supervisors s subject mtter 

experts. Respectively, they included sfegurding dt, providing informed consent, voiding coercive methods 

for ensuring prticiption, protecting informtion in personnel files, nd providing debriefing procedures for ll 

prticipnts. 

Although humn subject protection is  given in cdemic nd pplied reserch, in prmilitry orgniztions 

they my be viewed s less significnt. Thus, providing wreness of these requirements erly in the process 

would help to expedite the reserch in public sfety settings. Further, the IRB requirements hve implictions 

for subsequent selection methods in such orgniztions, including, but not limited to, the sensitivity of hndling 

cndidte dt, conforming to civil service rules, ensuring confidentility of pre–employment personnel dt, 

nd clrifying rules nd regultions of the hiring uthority. 

68 
Lessons Learned 

The bove issues will not dispper with the conclusion of the HSS project. They will need to be considered 

crefully in ny extension of this project tht involves ssessing humn subjects in hiring nd selection 

procedures nd in concurrent or longitudinl vlidtion reserch. Since some of the sites intend to continue 

reserching ssessment instruments nd their long-rnge predictive vlue, the issues identified in the IRB 

process will remin s significnt concerns tht will need continul ttention. 

Web-Based Recruitment and Hiring 

Web sites re  common feture of contemporry life nd re used s  recruiting tool for  number of 

occuptions. When used within the context of enhncing public employment, however, there re unique 

concerns. Online pplictions in use t some of the sites crete security nd privcy concerns nd the relibility 

of the job-relted informtion tht is presented is subject to question. Further, technology-bsed pplictions 

my not be user-friendly for cndidtes of who hve recently mstered the English lnguge, n issue in mny 

diverse communities tht re home to the very cndidtes lw enforcement seeks to ttrct. Finlly, becuse 

of civil service rules, the online procedures need to mirror the pper process, which often proved difficult to 

chieve becuse of formtting difficulties. 

Sites lso encountered  number of purely technicl issues, such s glitches in web site development. These 

issues present  decided contrst to wht is involved in the minor tweking of informtion systems nd the 

delys tht were creted were fr more extensive thn originlly nticipted. Most sites found tht they needed 

more thn  specific expertise to develop nd/or revise their web sites. Rther,  seprte mngement process 

nd stff were required tht could devote the time nd ttention tht ws needed to see it through to completion. 

One site recommended ssigning two project leds to  web site project with one stff person tsked with the 

communiction nd recruitment side of the process, nd nother ssigned to mnge the extremely detiled 

tsk requirements inherent to technicl pplictions. Other recommendtions included strting with n internl 

strtegic pln tht combines n outline of wht hs to be ccomplished s well s highly specific expecttions 

for vendors s stted in the Request for Proposls (RFP) but goes beyond design nd rnges from coding nd 

editing to ppliction development. The ltter should be formulted in  precise requirements document tht 

tells the vendor exctly wht is needed. Lst, but clerly not lest, is the need to hve community input. Since 

citizens re the customers who will be nvigting the site, their input is essentil nd provides  rodmp for 

wht citizens will look for nd wht they will need to nvigte  site without difficulty. One site frmed this 

issue s lerning to think like the public versus thinking like the police. 

Other delys relted to web site development involved cclimting mngement to the introduction of cuttingedge dvertising compnies into lw enforcement orgniztions tht re bsiclly conservtive. Since the sites 

hd been using existing web sites for some time, the ide of creting drmtic nd out-of-the-box chnge tht 

typiclly devited from stndrd procedures controlled by the city or county often rised eyebrows nd creted 

resistnce tht hd to be mnged through extensive vetting procedures. 

Web site issues do not subside once the new site hs been developed nd meets with success. There remins the 

business of developing content mngement tools tht provide for cler nd precise web site writing s well s 

procedures for ongoing mintennce which cn be eqully importnt to the initil development. The ltter lso 

involves timely updtes to keep the site fresh, obtining required photo releses from ll subjects introduced on 

the web site, ensuring tht ll contct informtion remins ccurte, nd mintining procedures for providing 

timely responses to web site inquiries. Despite the myrid of difficulties encountered, by the conclusion of HSS 

there ws generl concurrence tht ll sites hd been vstly improved,  fct supported by drmtic increses in 

hit rtes. 

69 
Lessons Learned 

Overcoming Impediments to Enhance Diversity 

Enhncing diversity in the pplicnt pool— gol of ll sites—ws met with vrible success. The fct tht 

the gol for  more diverse group of successful pplicnts ws not fully relized led to disppointment but not 

necessrily discourgement. In generl, the experience resulted in the gencies tking on  new nd proctive 

direction in minority recruitment. Moreover, new lerning ws creted in some sites. In prticulr, two sites 

found it necessry to convene focus groups with minority employees (Scrmento) or minority citizens 

(Detroit). The gol of these groups ws to better understnd the motivtion for seeking, or not seeking,  

lw enforcement position nd wht it would tke for minority cndidtes to envision themselves in the job. 

Generlly, the sites found tht the informtion gined from these groups ws enlightening. However, since the 

groups were developed lter in the project, they did not hve the opportunity to use this informtion to inform 

their initil recruitment strtegies. Clerly, the minority group responses would hve hd greter influence hd 

the groups been convened in the initil stges. 

Some sites pproched enhncing diversity from  technicl perspective. As  mtter of professionl prctice 

reltive to selection methodology, the King County Sheriff’s Office exmined gender nd ethnic group 

differences on pre-offer components of its selection ssessments to exmine potentil for n dverse impct on 

protected clsses. Within this context, they estimted men score group differences on recommended composite 

scores tht would be used for proposed eligibility lists. However, other sites took  more individulized 

pproch s bsed on the reliztion tht minority cndidtes would benefit from mentoring throughout 

the process. For exmple, Burlington initited tutoring of minority cndidtes when it ws discovered tht 

those with English s  second lnguge hd difficulties with written exmintions. Scrmento developed 

its Community Recruiter Progrm s  wy to provide  more personlized method of recruiting in order to 

enhnce diversity. 

Generlly, the lessons lerned from these sites cll for implementing methods t the front end of  project 

to crete  diverse pool of successful pplicnts. Further, the midcourse corrections elected by some sites 

demonstrte tht enhncing diversity is n evolving process tht cn clerly enrich recruitment. 

Mentoring—A Necessary Adjunct when Recruiting for Diversity 

Despite best efforts t selection, HSS demonstrted  need for mentoring recruits, prticulrly those from 

diverse communities. Mentoring will help these recruits dpt to the police culture nd will foster n wreness 

of how to succeed in  new profession. Over nd bove supporting recruits through the initil stges of the 

process, mentoring is eqully importnt in retining recruits nd cpitlizing on n gency’s investment. Both 

Burlington nd Scrmento recognized the extent of the djustment process tht is involved the erly stges 

of creer dpttion nd viewed mentoring s significnt to professionl development. In contrst to viewing 

mentored cndidtes s those who need help, this pproch conveys respect for their efforts nd communictes 

tht their cndidcy dds vlue to the orgniztion. Moreover, both sites lerned tht lnguge nd writing 

difficulties could be expected when English is  second lnguge nd they went the extr mile to provide 

ssistnce tht would contribute to professionl development. 

70 
Lessons Learned 

Menu of Promising Practices 

Identifying, Recruiting, Retaining the Service-Oriented Recruit 

• Community Consultnts Burlington Police Deprtment 

• Recruiting Ambssdors Detroit Police Deprtments 

• Mentoring Recruits Scrmento Police Deprtment 

Burlington Police Deprtment 

• Community Recruiter Progrm Scrmento Police Deprtment 

What Should Recruits Look Like To Do Community Policing 

•	 Chrcteristic-Bsed Job Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
 

Anlysis Exercise
 

•	 Core Competencies Linked King County Sheriff’s Office
 

To Job Functions/Performnce
 

•	 Service Orienttion Linked to Scrmento Police Deprtment
 

POST COP Dimensions
 

Marketing—How to Get the Message Out: Finding and Attracting ServiceOriented Recruits 

•	 Creting  “Brnd” Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
 

Scrmento Police Deprtment
 

• Medi Cmpign Detroit Police Deprtment 

•	 OnLine Tests Burlington Police Deprtment
 

King County Sheriff’s Office
 

Laying the Groundwork to Enhance Diversity 

• Minority Employee Focus Groups Scrmento Police Deprtment 

• Minority Citizen Focus Groups Detroit Police Deprtment 

• Minority Tutoring Progrm Burlington Police Deprtment 

Service-Oriented Selection Procedures 

• Pilot Testing Instruments Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office 

• Orl Bord Interviews Scrmento Police Deprtment, 

Detroit Police Deprtment 

Burlington Police Deprtment 

King County Sheriff’s Office 

• Occuptionl Testing Audit King County Sheriff’s Office 

•	 Construct Vlid Selection King County Sheriff’s Office 

System 

71 
Lessons Learned 

Engaging the Community in the HSS Process 

• Identifiction of Trits nd 

Competencies 

• Prticiption in Orl Bords 

• Adjunct Recruiters 

• CompStt Meeting Prticiption 

King County Sheriff’s Office 

Scrmento Police Deprtment 

Burlington Police Deprtment 

Burlington Police Deprtment 

Detroit Police Deprtment 

72 

Follow-Up to Institutionalize HSS 

• Longitudinl Vlidtion 

• Citizen Feedbck to FTOs 

• Citizen Prticiption in 

Promotion Interviews 

• Citizen Prticiption in 

Recruit Trining 

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office 

King County Sheriff’s Office 

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s 

Burlington Police Deprtment 

Detroit Police Deprtment 

Scrmento Police Deprtment 

Burlington Police Deprtment 

About the Author 
About the Author 

About the Author 

ELLEN SCRIVNER, Ph.D. 

Dr. Ellen Scrivner is the Deputy Superintendent of the Bureu of Administrtive Services, Chicgo Police Deprtment. 

A twenty-seven yer creer hs been highlighted by  reputtion for developing innovtive solutions to complex 

police problems. Dr. Scrivner is n cknowledged expert on  brod rnge of policing issues, including recruitment, 

hiring nd trining, nd enjoys wide-spred nme recognition nd credibility in the lw enforcement community. 

Experience includes involvement in policing s  ntionlly recognized expert on community policing,  licensed police 

psychologist, ppointment to Commnd Stffs of two mjor urbn police deprtments, n ppointment s  Ntionl 

Institute of Justice (NIJ) Visiting Fellow to study police use of excessive force, nd  rnge of publictions nd speking 

enggements. 

Dr. Scrivner entered Federl government service to ssist in estblishing the Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services (COPS Office), U.S. Deprtment of Justice. As Assistnt Director of Trining nd Technicl Assistnce 

(COPS), Dr. Scrivner lunched  ntionwide network of innovtive community policing trining institutes tht hve been 

described s  mjor legcy of the COPS Office. Appointed s Deputy Director of COPS, Dr. Scrivner oversw n $8.8 

Billion grnt progrm in ddition to ll trining nd technicl ssistnce, pplied reserch, nd the COPS Office Police 

Integrity inititive. 

Dr. Scrivner worked with the Federl Bureu of Investigtion (FBI) to ssist the Office of Lw Enforcement 

Coordintion. This office ws integrl to the FBI Director’s priorities to prevent nd deter terrorism by improving the 

collbortion with stte nd locl lw enforcement. This position required  Top Secret security clernce. Also consulted 

to  rnge of locl nd Federl lw enforcement gencies nd to ntionl police groups including the Interntionl 

Assocition of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the Police Executive Reserch Forum (PERF), nd the Police Foundtion. 

Accepted the position with the Chicgo Police Deprtment in 2004 nd is responsible for mnging the dministrtive 

function of the second lrgest police deprtment in the country. Administrtive functions include mnging  billion 

dollr budget s well s the Personnel, Informtion Services, Records Mngement, nd Reserch nd Development 

Divisions. Also responsible for overseeing the implementtion of the ICLEAR informtion shring enterprise system tht 

will dvnce informtion shring of criticl police informtion throughout the stte of Illinois. 

75 
About the 

Community Policing 

Consortium 
About the Community Policing Consortium 

About the Community Policing Consortium 

What is the Community Policing Consortium? 

The Community Policing Consortium (Consortium) is  prtnership of five of the ntion’s leding lw enforcement 

orgniztions: the Interntionl Assocition of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Dn Rosenbltt, Executive Director; the Ntionl 

Orgniztion of Blck Lw Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Jesse Lee, Executive Director; the Ntionl Sheriffs’ 

Assocition (NSA), Thoms N. Fust, Executive Director; the Police Executive Reserch Forum (PERF), Chuck Wexler, 

Executive Director; nd the Police Foundtion, Hubert Willims, President. The executive director of the Consortium is 

Willim H. Mtthews. 

How is the Consortium funded? 

The U.S. Deprtment of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) funds the Consortium. COPS 

is helping locl communities develop long-term solutions to crime nd violence. COPS hs wrded grnts to lw 

enforcement gencies for hiring officers, procuring equipment nd technology, nd implementing innovtive community 

policing prctices. COPS hs lso funded other orgniztions nd inititives tht offer trining nd conferences, conduct 

reserch, nd promote strtegies for implementing community policing. 

What is the mission of the Consortium? 

The Consortium’s primry mission is to dvnce community policing strtegies tht llow citizens nd  wide rnge 

of community stkeholders to work s full nd equl prtners with lw enforcement nd other public nd privte 

orgniztions in the effort to enhnce qulity of life. 

What types of services does the Consortium offer? 

For more thn ten yers, the Consortium hs provided trining nd technicl ssistnce to thousnds of lw enforcement 

professionls nd community members. The Consortium dissemintes community policing strtegies through: 

•	 Executive Blueprint Symposiums, our technicl ssistnce progrm for lw enforcement CEOs, which offer 

models nd strtegic pproches for mnging personnel, technology, nd resources for community policing 

•	 Community Engagements, our technicl ssistnce progrm for citizens nd lw enforcement, which fcilitte 

collbortive problem solving nd foster understnding, mutul trust, nd consensus 

•	 Community Links, the Consortium’s mgzine, which fetures commentries, reports, resource reviews, 

prcticl rticles, nd testimonies bout community policing 

•	  spekers bureu, through which the Consortium’s experts mke presenttions t conferences nd give 

interviews for television, newsppers, nd other medi 

•	 resource guides nd topicl monogrphs 

•	 n interctive website (www.communitypolicing.org) with rchived publictions, n informtion dtbse, nd 

trining nd technicl ssistnce informtion 

For more informtion, contct the Community Policing Consortium t (800) 833-3085 or visit our website t www. 

communitypolicing.org. 

77 
About the 

COPS Office 
About the COPS Office 

About the COPS Office 

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) ws creted in 1994 nd hs the unique mission to directly 

serve the needs of stte nd locl lw enforcement. The COPS Office hs been the driving force in dvncing the concept 

of community policing, nd is responsible for one of the gretest infusions of resources into stte, locl, nd tribl lw 

enforcement in our ntion’s history. 

Since 1994, COPS hs invested more thn $11.9 billion to dd community policing officers to the ntion’s streets, 

enhnce crime fighting technology, support crime prevention inititives, nd provide trining nd technicl ssistnce 

to help dvnce community policing. COPS funding hs furthered the dvncement of community policing through 

community policing innovtion conferences, the development of best prctices, pilot community policing progrms, 

nd pplied reserch nd evlution inititives. COPS hs lso positioned itself to respond directly to emerging lw 

enforcement needs. Exmples include working in prtnership with deprtments to enhnce police integrity, promoting 

sfe schools, combting the methmphetmine drug problem, nd supporting homelnd security efforts. 

Through its grnt progrms, COPS is ssisting nd encourging stte, locl, nd tribl lw enforcement gencies to 

enhnce their homelnd security efforts using proven community policing strtegies. COPS progrms such s the 

Universl Hiring Progrm (UHP) hs helped gencies ddress terrorism prepredness or response through community 

policing. The COPS in Schools (CIS) progrm hs  mndtory trining component tht includes topics on terrorism 

prevention, emergency response, nd the criticl role schools cn ply in community response. COPS lso developed 

the Homelnd Security Overtime Progrm (HSOP) to increse the mount of overtime funding vilble to support 

community policing nd homelnd security efforts. Finlly, COPS hs implemented grnt progrms intended to develop 

interoperble voice nd dt communictions networks mong emergency response gencies tht will ssist in ddressing 

locl homelnd security demnds. 

The COPS Office hs mde substntil investments in lw enforcement trining. COPS creted  ntionl network of 

Regionl Community Policing Institutes (RCPIs) tht re vilble to stte, locl, nd tribl lw enforcement, elected 

officils nd community leders for trining opportunities on  wide rnge of community policing topics. Recently the 

RCPIs hve been focusing their efforts on developing nd delivering homelnd security trining. COPS lso supports the 

dvncement of community policing strtegies through the Community Policing Consortium. Additionlly, COPS hs 

mde  mjor investment in pplied reserch which mkes possible the growing body of substntive knowledge covering 

ll spects of community policing. 

These substntil investments hve produced  significnt community policing infrstructure cross the country s 

evidenced by the fct tht t the present time, pproximtely 86 percent of the ntion’s popultion is served by lw 

enforcement gencies prcticing community policing. The COPS Office continues to respond proctively by providing 

criticl resources, trining, nd technicl ssistnce to help stte, locl, nd tribl lw enforcement implement innovtive 

nd effective community policing strtegies. 

79 
Appendices 
Appendix A 

Appendix A 

California Commission on POST 

Patrol Officer Psychological Screening Dimensions 

DIMENSION 1: SOCIAL COMPETENCE 

This involves communicting with others in  tctful nd respectful mnner, nd showing sensitivity nd concern in one’s 

dily interctions. It includes severl fcets, including: 

•	 The bility to “red” people nd be wre of the impct of their own words nd behvior on others (Socil 

Awreness) 

•	 Sensitivity nd concern towrds the feelings of others (Empthy) 

•	 Tct nd imprtility in treting ll members of society (Tolernce) 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Reds peoples’ motives nd nticiptes their rections by picking up on verbl nd behviorl cues 

•	 Recognizes needs nd concerns of others 

•	 Resolves problems in wys tht do not crete unnecessry ntgonism 

•	 Clms emotionl/ngry people nd defuses conflicts through medition, negotition, nd persusion rther 

thn force (when pproprite) 

•	 Recognizes the impct of one’s own verbl nd nonverbl communictions on others (nd mkes sure both re 

consistent nd pproprite) 

•	 Refrins from mking remrks tht could be interpreted s rude or condescending 

•	 Intercts with others in  courteous nd respectful mnner 

•	 Listens to others ptiently nd ttentively (within reson) to gther needed informtion, gin coopertion, etc., 

while—t the sme time—stying focused on the tsk 

•	 Is considerte when duties led to physicl or emotionl pin/discomfort of others, including victims, 

witnesses, nd suspects 

•	 Assists others when needed, even when some personl scrifice is involved 

•	 Communictes tctfully nd effectively with individuls cross the gmut of society, even when giving 

constructive criticism 

•	 Provides service/renders id or ssistnce in n unbised fshion 

•	 Awre of nd sensitive to socil, economic nd, culturl differences, including those ssocited with gender, 

sexul orienttion, rce, nd religion 

•	 Sensitive nd respectful when intercting with the elderly, disbled, nd those with specil needs 

•	 Willingly provides id nd ssistnce to ll individuls 

•	 The bility to interct effectively with groups in  vriety of settings (neighborhood wtch meetings, 

community wreness meetings) 

•	 Intercts with community groups in  professionl, rticulte, nd effective mnner 

81 
Appendix A 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Baits people; takes personal offense at comments, insults, criticism 

•	 Provokes suspects by officious bearing, gratuitous verbal challenge or through physical contact 

•	 Antagonizes community members and others 

•	 Uses profanity and other inappropriate language 

•	 Refuses to listen to explanations from members of the community 

•	 Performs job duties in a way so as to minimize interactions with others 

•	 Makes inappropriate comments to community members regarding their personal characteristics and 

among other officers concerning specific groups (racial, gender, sexual orientation, proficiency with 

the English language, immigrant status, HIV/AIDS infection, religion, transgender, social status) 

•	 Inability to recognize how one’s own emotions/behavior affect situations and others 

•	 Makes hasty, biased judgments based on physical appearance, race, gender, or other group 

membership characteristics 

•	 Exhibits “stage fright” when asked to speak in front of community groups 

DIMENSION 2: TEAMWORK 

This involves working effectively with others to ccomplish gols, s well s subordinting personl interests for 

the good of the working group nd gency. It involves estblishing nd mintining effective, coopertive working 

reltionships with fellow officers, supervisors, community prtners, representtives of other gencies, nd others 

tsked with serving nd protecting the community. 

It consists of: 

•	 Shring informtion nd providing ssistnce nd support to fellow officers nd other working prtners 

•	 Blncing personl mbitions with orgniztionl/tem gols 

•	 Performing one’s fir shre in  group effort 

•	 Collborting effectively with others to ccomplish work gols, s necessry 

•	 Not llowing personl differences to ffect working reltionships 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Supports nd recognizes the ccomplishment of tem members 

•	 Willingly offers, initites, nd provides ssistnce to fellow officers 

•	 Invites the community to provide input nd ssistnce 

•	 Supports group efforts rther thn competing for individul recognition 

•	 Solicits input nd ssistnce from community prtners nd others outside the gency to ccomplish 

work gols 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Resents successes and accomplishments of team members 

•	 Does not assist fellow officers 

•	 Avoids asking others for assistance 

•	 Alienates colleagues by dominating interactions and activities 

•	 Gossips, criticizes, and backstabs colleagues and coworkers 

82 
Appendix A 

DIMENSION 3: ADAPTABILITY/ FLEXIBILITY 

This involves the bility to chnge gers nd esily djust to the mny different, sudden, nd sometimes competing 

demnds inherent in lw enforcement work. 

It consists of: 

•	 Appropritely shifting between the role of lw enforcer nd public servnt 

•	 Adjusting to plnned nd unplnned work chnges, including different types of incidents tht must be 

hndled one right fter nother 

•	 Prioritizing nd working effectively on severl very different tsks/projects t the sme time 

•	 Appropritely pplies lws nd regultions; understnds the difference between the letter nd the spirit 

of the lw 

•	 Performs duties without constnt supervision or instructions 

•	 Works in unstructured situtions with miniml supervision 

•	 Adjusts to differing supervisory styles 

•	 Cn physiclly nd mentlly djust to shift work 

•	 Mkes sudden djustments in use of force s pproprite 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Esily chnges gers in response to unpredictble or unexpected events nd circumstnces 

•	 Willingly ccepts nd ppropritely implements chnges in policy, orgniztionl prctices nd lw 

(e.g., video cmers in cr; rcil profiling dt collection, etc.) 

•	 Accepts nd esily dpts to chnges in work ssignments 

•	 Accepts nd esily djusts to chnges in opertions, gols, ctions, modes of conduct or priorities to 

del with chnging situtions 

•	 Anticiptes chnges in work demnds by locting nd prticipting in ssignments or trining tht will 

prepre self for these chnges 

•	 Selects  correct mode of opertion for the sitution: lw enforcer, public servnt, etc. 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Needs directives to be in black and white 

•	 Fails to exercise appropriate discretion in carrying out duties (for example, is a “misdemeanor cop”— 

everybody gets a ticket) 

•	 Never takes action; spends too much time on minor infractions—unable to set priorities 

•	 Is paralyzed by uncertainty or ambiguity 

DIMENSION 4: CONSCIENTIOUSNESS/ DEPENDABILITY 

This involves diligent, relible, conscientious work ptterns, performing in  timely, logicl mnner in ccordnce 

with rules nd regultions nd gency policies. 

It includes: 

•	 Crrying ssigned tsks through to successful nd timely completion 

•	 Mintining  punctul, relible ttendnce record 

•	 Persevering in the fce of obstcles, difficulties, long hours nd other dverse working conditions 

83 
Appendix A 

•	 Stying orgnized 

•	 Crefully ttending to detils (e.g., typos, missing/incorrect informtion) 

•	 Stying current on new rules, procedures, etc. 

•	 Mintining ccountbility for one’s work, nd nlyzing prior mistkes or problems to improve 

performnce 

•	 Performing effectively under difficult nd uncomfortble conditions 

•	 A promise mde is  promise kept 

•	 Continully works to chieve or restore trust with peers, supervisors nd citizens 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Strives to meet dedlines nd otherwise complete work in timely mnner 

•	 Stys current on relevnt cse lw 

•	 Works overtime when necessry to meet orgniztionl needs 

•	 Initites proper ction without needing to wit for instruction 

•	 Does more thn just hndle clls; productively uses unstructured time to identify nd resolve problems 

on the bet, ddress community problems nd otherwise meet gency gols 

•	 Follows through nd completes tsks within the expected timefrme 

•	 Honors nd follows through on commitments, even when it’s inconvenient or unplesnt to do so 

•	 Focuses on ccomplishing the tsk rther thn wtching the clock 

•	 Sfegurds the property entrusted to them 

•	 Mkes sure the job is done correctly rther thn just going through the motions 

•	 Attends to ll spects of projects nd ctivities to be sure they re completed 

•	 Orgnizes nd mintins knowledge of other gencies to provide referrls to community members s 

pproprite 

•	 Completes ccurte nd timely reports 

•	 Mintins skill nd fitness levels 

•	 Arrives t ppointments on time (or hed of time whenever possible) 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Sneaks out before shift is over 

•	 Fails to comply with instructions or orders 

•	 Procrastinates 

•	 Loses case information or other valuable information 

•	 Causes unnecessary and inappropriate property damage while conducting searches or making arrests 

•	 Coasts toward the end of the shift 

•	 Poor attendance – takes time off from work unnecessarily 

•	 Deliberately fails to complete assignments in order to accrue unnecessary overtime 

•	 Takes excessive/extended breaks 

•	 Wastes time “shooting the breeze” 

•	 Misses scheduled court appearances or other important appointments 

•	 Fails to properly prepare for court appearances 

•	 Finds ways to avoid taking necessary training (e.g., range dates, CPT, physical training) 

•	 Fails to maintain department equipment 

•	 Fails to properly report damage to equipment 

•	 Conducts unauthorized personal business while on duty 

•	 Gives up or cuts corners when faced with obstacles 

•	 Performs job duties in a way that requires the minimum amount of effort (e.g., discounts citizen 

complaints to avoid writing separate reports, ignores signs which might be present of crimes/problems 

unrelated to the reason for the call, investigates at the bare minimum level, etc.) 

84 
Appendix A 

DIMENSION 5: IMPULSE CONTROL/ATTENTION TO SAFETY 

This involves tking proper precutions nd voiding impulsive nd/or unnecessrily risky behvior to ensure both 

public nd officer sfety. It includes the bility nd inclintion to think before cting – to keep one’s impetuous, 

knee-jerk rections in check, nd insted behve in conscious regrd for the lrger sitution t hnd. 

It includes: 

• Drives nd otherwise behves within one’s own limits – doesn’t excessively speed, tke on too mny 

individuls without bckup, etc. 

• Tking proper precutions during nd fter vehicle pursuits, trffic stops, dministering emergency 

ssistnce/first id, etc. 

• Thinking things through before cting (including considering consequences), rther thn doing the 

first thing tht comes to mind, yet mintining  trining edge to respond optimlly to dedly force 

situtions 

• Creful use nd mintennce of firerms, less lethl wepons, OC spry, edged wepons, vehicle, 

flshlight, bton, tcticl vest, rdio, cell phone, etc.; consistently possesses ll issued equipment 

• Sfe driving prctices during routine nd high rousl ctivities 

• Attention to nd wreness of hzrds 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Thinks before cting 

•	 Complies with sfety rules (wers setbelt, uses helmet when biking, motorcyle riding, etc.) 

•	 Recognizes the impct of personl injury on performnce 

•	 Drives in control 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Brandishes and is otherwise careless with firearms 

•	 Disregards risk to self or others - exhibits “tombstone courage” 

•	 Fails to properly search suspects for weapons during apprehension 

•	 Drives recklessly and at excessive speeds 

•	 Gets in avoidable/excessive traffic accidents 

•	 Lives in the moment at the expense of accomplishing long-term objectives 

•	 Takes unnecessary, foolhardy risks 

•	 Reacts in a knee-jerk manner to emergency events (e.g., entering a “burglary-in-progress” alone 

rather than waiting for backup) 

•	 Acts without thinking 

•	 Overreacts when challenged or criticized 

•	 Involved in and/or arrested for off-duty incidents 

•	 Speeds and drives recklessly off duty 

•	 Gets in off-duty altercations 

85 
Appendix A 

DIMENSION 6: INTEGRITY/ ETHICS 

This involves mintining high stndrds of personl conduct. It consists of ttributes such s honesty, imprtility, 

trustworthiness, nd biding lws, regultions nd procedures. 

It includes: 

•	 Not busing the system nor using the position of uthority for personl gin 

•	 Not bending rules or otherwise trying to bet the system by tmpering with evidence, slnting reports, 

providing inccurte testimony, etc. 

•	 Not engging in illegl or immorl ctivities – either on or off duty 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Gives honest testimony 

•	 Prepres truthful nd ccurte sworn ffidvits 

•	 Does not yield to tempttions of bribes, fvors, grtuities, or pyoffs 

•	 Refuses to shre or relese confidentil informtion 

•	 Confronts coworkers who engge in unethicl/illegl conduct 

•	 Tkes ction to prevent unethicl/illegl conduct by others 

•	 Dels honestly (lthough tctfully) with community, coworkers, supervisors, etc. 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Shades the truth, omits facts, makes false or misleading statements or otherwise engages in “creative 

writing” 

•	 Lies, misrepresents and commits perjury 

•	 Lies about his/her mistakes or oversights 

•	 Uses the badge to solicit gratuities or favors, either on or off-duty steals 

•	 Uses access to confidential information for self-serving purposes 

•	 Uses bullying, flattery, trickery and other devious methods when uncalled for by the situation 

•	 Breaks/bends rules, believing that the end justifies the means 

•	 Uses the position to receive sexual and/or monetary favors 

•	 Fraudulently reports sick and/or annual leave 

•	 Bends rules for personal gain or satisfaction 

•	 Abuses privileges and benefits of the job (e.g., take-home car, overtime, court time, etc.) 

•	 Resorts to “street justice” rather than adhering to laws, agency policies, etc. 

•	 Succumbs to peer pressure to adhere to “code of silence” 

•	 Involved in the sale or distribution of illegal drugs 

•	 Inappropriate professional boundary issues (e.g., relationships with victims, informants, etc.) 

•	 Engages in inappropriate sexual activity (e.g., prostitutes, sex with minors, etc.) 

•	 Transgresses professional boundaries by initiating inappropriate personal relationships with victims 

and others 

86 
Appendix A 

DIMENSION 7: EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND STRESS TOLERANCE 

This involves the bility to mintin composure nd sty in control, prticulrly during life-thretening, time– 

criticl events nd other stressful situtions. It includes tking the negtive spects of the job in stride nd 

mintining n even temperment, s well s ccepting criticism rther thn becoming overly defensive or llowing 

it to hmper job performnce. 

It includes: 

• Acceptnce/ownership of personl limittions nd mistkes 

• Ability to perform under difficult, thretening situtions 

• Mintining positive self imge under dverse circumstnces 

• Mintining even-tempered composure nd demenor 

• Proper use of force 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Accepts responsibility for ctions nd mistkes; does not routinely mke excuses or blme others for 

own shortcomings. 

•	 Even tempered 

•	 Uses constructive criticism to improve performnce 

•	 Mkes timely, responsible decisions nd ctions in dngerous/crisis situtions 

•	 Cn perform in the fce of personl thret, where people re cpble of life-thretening violence 

•	 Stys clm in the fce of verbl buse from others 

•	 Demonstrtes emotionl resilience by bouncing bck from negtive situtions 

•	 Accepts tht system injustices nd inequities re beyond their control, rther thn letting them impct 

their emotionl stte nd job performnce 

•	 Proper escltion nd de-escltion of force; using force only when necessry, nd then just the mount 

needed to pprehend  suspect, serch the property or residence, etc. 

•	 Hndles the negtive spects of the job reltively well, without extreme negtivity/cynicism 

•	 Fils to deesclte t conclusion of pursuit 

•	 Curbs personl versions (e.g., child molesters) from interfering with professionl job performnce 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Never acknowledges or admits to shortcomings or mistakes 

•	 Experiences performance-impairing mood swings 

•	 Becomes excessively defensive or otherwise overreacts when challenged or criticized 

•	 Consistently blames others (or circumstances) for mistakes made 

•	 Worries excessively and enters into new situations with considerable apprehension 

•	 Overly suspicious and distrusting in dealing with others 

•	 Denies impact of stress-inducing incidents 

•	 Commonly behaves with hostility and anger 

•	 Suffers reactions to job stress, both near-term (anxiety, worry) and long-term (e.g., physical symptoms, 

burnout, substance abuse). 

•	 Overly self-critical of one’s job performance 

•	 Is “always right”—not open to others’ ideas, suggestions, etc. 

•	 Argues at the drop of a hat 

•	 Badmouths the agency and associated organizations 

•	 Unable to cope with stress; worries excessively or suffers other signs of anxiety 

87 
Appendix A 

•	 Unnecessarily confrontational and aggressive 

•	 Comes “unglued,” freezes, or otherwise performs ineffectively when feeling overloaded or stressed 

•	 Antagonistic toward fellow officers; e.g., uses abusive, condescending language; disrespectful 

•	 Disrupts/undermines authority (fails to successfully carry out directives; shows signs of contempt by eye 

rolling, excessive exhaling, etc.) 

•	 Excessive, unrestrained use of force 

•	 Allows personal problems and stressors to bleed into behavior on the job 

DIMENSION 8: DECISION-MAKING AND JUDGMENT 

This involves common sense, “street smrts,” nd the bility to mke sound decisions, demonstrted by the bility 

to size up situtions quickly nd tke the pproprite ction. It lso involves the bility to sift through informtion to 

glen tht which is importnt, nd, once identified, to use tht informtion effectively. 

It involves: 

•	 thinking on one’s feet, using prcticl judgment nd efficient problem solving 

•	 prioritizing competing demnds 

•	 developing cretive nd innovtive solutions to problems 

•	 bsing decisions on the collection nd considertion of importnt informtion 

•	 pplying deductive nd inductive resoning, s necessry 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Gthers nd criticlly evlutes importnt informtion before deciding on  course of ction 

•	 Knows when to confront—nd when to bck wy from—potentilly explosive situtions 

•	 Mkes timely, sound decisions on the spot, if necessry, even in situtions where informtion is incomplete 

nd/or conflicting 

•	 Cn step into  tense sitution involving severl people nd figure out wht probbly led up to tht point in 

time, s well s wht is likely to hppen s the sitution unfolds 

•	 Expediently sizes up situtions nd identifies the underlying problem(s) 

•	 Genertes new, cretive/innovtive ides nd solutions to situtions nd problems when
 

necessry/dvntgeous
 

•	 Applies lessons lerned from pst mistkes/experiences when fced with similr problems 

•	 Cn identify similrities nd differences between situtions confronted on  regulr bsis 

•	 Uses  methodicl, step-by-step pproch to solve complex problems, s pproprite 

•	 Comprehends nd retins  good del of fctul informtion, nd is ble to recll informtion pertining to 

community concerns, lws, codes, etc. 

•	 Selects n pproch tht is lwful s well s optiml for the sitution 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Succumbs to “analysis paralysis:” inability to make decisions when options are not clear-cut or obvious 

•	 Unable or unwilling to make “midcourse corrections” on initial course of action when presented with new 

information 

•	 Naive, overly trusting, easily duped. 

•	 Has tunnel vision; does not see the big picture when analyzing data 

•	 Fails to identify patterns and implications when analyzing data and information 

88 
Appendix A 

DIMENSION 9: ASSERTIVENESS/PERSUASIVENESS 

This involves unhesittingly tking control of situtions in  clm nd ppropritely ssertive mnner, even under 

dngerous or dverse conditions. 

It includes the bility to: 

•	 Confront suspects 

•	 Act ssertively nd without hesittion 

•	 Not be esily intimidted 

•	 Use force, including dedly force, when necessry 

•	 Assert ides nd persude others to dopt desired course of ction 

•	 Commnd respect 

•	 Emnte professionl pride nd demenor 

Note: Extreme dominnce nd overggression re not prt of this dimension; rther, they re included s nger 

control in EMOTIONAL MATURITY REGULATION AND STRESS TOLERANCE 

(Dimension 7), nd overbering insensitivity in SOCIAL COMPETENCE (Dimension 1). 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Tkes effective, expedient ction in crisis situtions 

•	 Unhesittingly intervenes in situtions when necessry or wrrnted 

•	 Confronts problems, even in potentilly explosive situtions; doesn’t bck wy unless tcticlly 

necessry 

•	 Able to persude/medite disputes nd conflicts 

•	 Able to use voice commnds to control conflict, speking clmly, clerly nd uthorittively 

•	 Cn ppropritely tke control in group situtions, coordinting resources, etc. 

•	 Judicious nd discrete in the exercise of pece officer powers 

•	 Confronts fellow officers who buse uthority or engge in other inpproprite cts 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Delays acting in crisis, time-critical situations due to absence of every fact and total picture of 

situation 

•	 Displays submissiveness and insecurity when confronting challenging or threatening situations 

•	 Is hesitant to exert influence in uncomfortable/stressful situations 

•	 Overbearingly takes over control of situations, thereby escalating tensions and risks 

•	 Avoids interpersonal conflict at all costs 

•	 Fails to take action when required or requested 

•	 Overly concerned with the negative reactions of others 

DIMENSION 10: AVOIDING SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND OTHER RISK-TAKING 

BEHAVIOR 

This involves avoiding participation in behavior that is inappropriate, self-damaging, and can adversely impact 

organizational functioning, such as alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, sale of drugs and gambling. 

89 
Appendix A 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Abuses alcohol and legally prescribed drugs (e.g., pain killers, steroids) 

•	 Uses illegal drugs 

•	 Misses work due to alcohol use 

•	 Drinks alcohol on duty 

•	 Arrives at work intoxicated/smelling of alcohol or hung-over 

•	 Involved in and/or arrested for off-duty incidents 

•	 History of DUI arrests 

•	 Gambles to the point of causing harm to oneself 

•	 Engages in self-destructive coping behaviors 

•	 Commits domestic violence 

DIMENSION 11: COMMITMENT TO SERVICE/SOCIAL CONCERN. 

This involves  commitment to service to the community. A belief tht effective policing is ccomplished though 

 prtnership between the Deprtment nd the community it serves. Hving  genuine concern for the community 

served. 

It includes: 

•	 An ctive involvement with the community to solve problems 

•	 A desire to serve 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Inititing nd encourging involvement from community members 

•	 Actively seeks input/feedbck from community members 

•	 When possible, incorportes input/feedbck into decision mking 

•	 Recognizes, pprecites, nd dpts to the diverse cultures, rces, religions, etc., of the Scrmento 

Community 

•	 Awre of nd sensitive to socil, economic nd culturl differences, including those ssocited with 

gender, sexul orienttion, rce nd religion 

•	 Respectful when intercting with different cultures, rces, religions etc. 

•	 Prticiptes in ctivities demonstrting  socil concern (Toys for Tots, Sfety progrms, community 

wreness progrms) 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Having an “us versus them” mentality 

•	 Makes inappropriate or insensitive comments to community members or coworkers regarding personal, 

cultural, sexual, etc., characteristics 

•	 Specifically targets individuals based on cultural, racial, gender, sexual, and other characteristics 

•	 Actively disregards or avoids input/feedback from community members 

•	 An attitude that “I know what’s best” regardless of community input or feedback 

•	 Blind to the differences among differing cultures, races, religions etc., treats everyone the same 

90 
Appendix B 

Appendix B 

A Report on Findings from Focus Groups of Sacramento 

Female and Minority Police Officers 

Sacramento Police Department 

Purpose: 

Recruiting women nd minorities hs been identified s  common problem fcing most lw enforcement 

gencies. Trditionl recruiting methods (plcing ds in the newspper, ttending job firs, etc.) hve not 

been successful enough in ttrcting  diverse police officer cndidte pool tht reflects the demogrphics of 

Scrmento. The gol of these focus groups is to determine wys in which the Scrmento Police Deprtment 

might improve its recruitment efforts of women nd minorities. 

Methodology: 

Insight Reserch, Inc, conducted two focus groups for the Scrmento Police Deprtment on June 21, 2004. The 

groups were s follows: 

• Minority Police Officers, mixed gender 

• Femle Police Officers 

Please see discussion guide on page 98. 

Statment of Limitations: 

In opinion reserch, the focus group seeks to develop insight nd direction rther thn quntittively precise or 

bsolute mesures. Becuse of the limited number of respondents nd the restrictions of recruiting, this reserch 

must be considered in  qulittive frme of reference. 

The reder my find tht some of the informtion seems inconsistent in chrcter upon first reding this report. 

These inconsistencies should be considered s vlid dt from the prticipnt’s point of view. Tht is, the 

prticipnt my be misinformed or simply wrong in his or her knowledge or judgement nd we should interpret 

this s useful informtion bout their level of understnding. 

This study cnnot be considered relible or vlid in the sttisticl sense. This type of reserch is intended to 

provide knowledge, wreness, ttitudes, nd opinions bout issues nd concerns. The following bises re 

inherent in this type of study nd re stted here to remind ech reder tht the dt presented here cnnot be 

projected to ny universe of individuls. 

Bias 1.	 Prticipnts who respond to the invittion of  strnger to prticipte in this reserch show 

themselves to be risk tkers nd my be somewht more ssertive thn non-prticipnts. 

Bias 2.	 Some prticipnts spek more often nd more forcefully in focus group sessions thn other 

prticipnts, so their opinions tend to crry more weight in the findings. 

Bias 3.	 Prticipnts “self-select” themselves, i.e., they re those people who re vilble on the night  

prticulr group ws scheduled. 

91 
Appendix B 

Bias 4.	 Prticipnts were not selected rndomly so tht ech person in the pool of possible prticipnts did 

not hve n equl chnce to be selected. 

Bias 5. People in groups my respond differently to  question thn if sked tht sme question 

individully. They my follow the led of  strong speker or someone they perceive s “expert”. 

Further, this report cnnot ccurtely detil the welth of informtion in the non-verbl re; e.g., “body lnguge” 

(posture, sleepiness, wiggling in the chir, etc.) or the mount of time lpsed between questions from the modertor 

nd ctul responses from the group. It lso connot report on the subtle re of “peer pressure”—the willingness to 

void mking  prticulr response becuse of fer of wht others might think or to chnge  response when others 

in the group pper to oppose their originl position. 

Executive Summary: 

Key Findings: 

•	 Mny police officers hd  criminl justice role model in their fmily or were previously in the 

militry. Some women were encourged by others to join, nd some minority men were influenced by 

television nd movies. 

•	 Officers note the Scrmento Police Deprtment provides job security, educted coworkers, nd 

good benefits. They sy they sty with it becuse they hve invested their time nd their selves to the 

deprtment. 

•	 Women police officers sy they think for mny women there is  physicl brrier tht discourges them 

from entering lw enforcement. 

•	 Both minority nd women police officers think the perceived public imge of police officers is  

brrier. 

•	 Women re frustrted by n imge of lw enforcement s  creer for men only. 

•	 Minorities re frustrted by  negtive imge of lw enforcement officils. 

•	 Officers gree tht recruiting efforts need to be t  young ge nd t the college-level. They convey  

dediction to developing reltionships with young children when on clls, or in the community. They 

lso re dmnt tht recruiting needs to hppen repetedly t colleges—on the sports tems, in the 

gyms, nd in the criminl justice clsses. 

•	 Women police officers re frustrted with the lck of femle representtion in uthority positions. 

They re lso resolute tht the dministrtion must ttempt to be flexible nd innovtive to women’s 

lives in order to ttrct more women to the field. 

•	 Minority nd women police officers re positive in their imge of the Scrmento Police Deprtment 

nd of the lw enforcement field. They re chllenged nd excited by their creers nd think tht 

should be the core of  messge to recruits. 

92 
Appendix B 

Executive Summary: 

Strategic Summary: 

•	 It is importnt to highlight the vriety of opportunities the field offers, s well s underscore the 

benefits of the Scrmento Police Deprtment in contrst to other gencies. 

•	 The negtive imge of police officers must be dispelled. 

• For women, the imge of lw enforcement s  “mn’s job” needs to be overcome 

• For minorities, the imge of the police being the “bd guys” need to be eliminted. 

•	 Recruiting should be done t two levels: t  young ge nd in colleges. 

•	 Elementry school children need to be introduced to the option of  creer in lw enforcement 

nd plnting this seed erly is key to keeping kids on the right trck. 

•	 Recruiting needs to be implemented in criminl justice clsses t colleges nd t gyms nd on 

sports tems. 

•	 Recruiting needs to be  repeted process. 

•	 Offer trining progrms to encourge women to prctice physicl skills before tking the entrnce 

exms. 

•	 Mke nd effor to involve women nd minority officers in recruiting events so tht women nd 

minorities cn see their reflection in the deprtment. 

•	 The dministrtion needs to be supportive of officers prticipting in recruiting efforts. 

•	 The dministrtion should provide funding or py whenever possible. 

•	 Officers rely on the dministrtion to circulte informtion bout opportunities for them to 

recruit. 

•	 Advertising, especilly dvertising tht fetures women or minority officers, is  key tool for 

ttrcting lterls. 

•	 A recruiting messge should include the positive elements of vriety, chllenge, nd honor tht the 

creer offers. It should lso convey empowerment of the recruited— “you cn do it” ttitude. 

Becoming a Police Officer 

Mny police officers hd  criminl justice role model in their fmily or were previously in the militry. Mny 

lso stte they they were ttrcted by the structure offered. A minority officer sid his influence ws, “I think 

my fther, he ws in lw enforcement too... the discipline of it, following rules.” Some women officers were 

encourged to become  police officer by others. One such womn sid she ws, “Plying soccer with two 

lieutennts, nd plyed on  co-ed legue, nd they sid, “You should be  cop.” Progrms such s CHIPS nd 

criminl justice clsses were lso mentioned s being influentil for women. 

Femle role models did not ply  lrge prt in the recruitment process for women officers, but hve become 

importnt now tht they re in the field. Mle minority officers mention tht imges tht television nd 

movies such s Westerns portry of lw enforcement officils ws influentil to their decision. One mle 

93 
94 

Appendix B 

minority officer sys he hd known he ws going to be  police officer, “since I ws 5, 

wtching Jckie Chn movies.” Another sid, “I would sy Westerns ttrcted me to lw 

enforcement.” 

The creer enticed mny for its dy-to-dy vriety, the chllenges it presents, nd the 

opportunity hve  good impct on  community. A womn officer sid, “Never the sme 

thing,” while nother sid, “the chllenge nd the opportunities.” 

Sacramento Police Department 

When discusing resons for joining the Scrmento Police Deprtment, mny contrst it 

with the Sheriff’s office. They sy the Sheriff’s office is less educted nd they do not 

like the wy it is run. A femle police officer explined, “honestly, I ws like well I’m n 

educted person, I hve my degree, I cn go to the Sheriff’s Deprtment nd work with 

people tht re eighteen tht hve no forml eduction fter high school, tht sounds  

little scry to me. Or I cn work with people tht hve ctullly chieved something else 

lredy, here.” They feel they hve job security with the Scrmento Police Deprtment 

nd know tht it is rnked highly in Cliforni. They lso note tht the deprtment hs  

pid police cdemy. 

Women stick with the Scrmento Police Deprtment becuse they sy it hs been good 

to them. They pprecite the retirement nd benefit plns. Both women nd minority 

officers lso feel they hve invested their time in the Scrmento Police Deprtment nd 

do not wnt to strt over somewhere else. Strting over would not be worth leving the 

Scrmento Police Deprtment becuse they recognize tht ny gency will hve some 

downflls. A mle minority officer sttes tht, “nywhere you go, there’s going to be 

drm.” 

Mny lso sty becuse they hold the Scrmento Police Deprtment close to them, 

nd consider it  fmily. A femle police officer explins, “One I don’t wnt to strt 

over, I enjoy wht I’m doing, good people in the deprtment, just like ny plce else, 

if something were to hppen to me or someone in my fmily I know the deprtment’s 

behind me, it’s just  good environment.” They lso recognize tht they re n elite group 

of people. A mle minority police officer sys, “I think it’s the ll the things you go 

through to be  police officer here, it mkes it pretty specil, once you get through nd 

you’re off probtion nd you’re pst ll these things it relly does, you feel pretty good 

bout being  prt of this tem.” 

Since I ws  kid it ws 

wht I wnted to do, I 

never thought bout doing 

nything else. – Minority 

Police Officer 

I sw how much fun my 

brother ws hving nd I 

thought, “I cn do tht.” 

– Female Police Officer 

I think t the time when 

I joined, Sc PD ws 

rnked within the top ten 

lw enforcement gencies 

in the Stte of Cliforni, 

their stndrds were very 

high nd their trining 

of their officers was very 

high. – Femle Police 

Officer 

I’m hving fun, I like 

wht I’m doing. And you 

know you go some plce 

else you hve to strt 

with nother whole mess 

of stuff to get through 

nd know the system nd 

everything. – Femle 

Minority Police Officer 

For me personlly it’s the 

people tht I work with, 

I relly feel comfortble 

witht he people I work 

with, my prtners, my 

tem, my sergent. These 

people re fmily. – Mle 

Minority Police Officer 

Social, Physical, and Economical Barries 

Women police officers sy there re both socil nd physicl brriers to entering the 

police force. Firstly, they sy the creer is stereotyped s  mn’s profession. They gree 

tht it tkes  specil kind of womn to overcome this stigm, nd mny women simply 

do not wnt to tke on tht kind of stress. A femle officer sys, “I think one of biggest 

brriers is tht it is  mn’s profession nd I men even if you look t your deprtment, 
Appendix B 

you see out of 700-some officers, I men there’s  very smll number of women, nd I 

would imgine tht some women find tht to be well I don’t wnt to tke on tht stress, 

or join into  mn’s world nd I relly think it tkes kind of  specil womn to be ble to 

jump in nd go, I wnt to be  cop, it is dngerous, there re drwbcks to it nd I wnt 

to prtke in something tht’s bigger thn I m.” 

Secondly,  creer s  police officer often is not greeble for women who wnt to 

strt  fmily due to the schedule nd lck of flexibility. Regrding the physicl brriers, 

women officers sy they believe mny women question whether they would be ble to 

pss the physicl tests required nd whether they could hndle physicl confronttion 

on the job. Mny women therefore re not interested in being police officers but rther 

detectives. 

Minority officers note tht there just re not enought of them on the force for minorities 

to see role models. Minority officers lso note tht  lck of fluency in English my be  

brrier for some. 

Economic brriers do not seem to be  fctor for most. Only n Asin police officer notes 

tht the creer is considered blue-collr for his culture when compred to the medicl 

or engineering fields: “I notice  lot of people who I grew up with tht re Jpnese 

or Chinese who I thought were my friends growing up becme doctors nd executives 

becuse they’re very money-driven nd  lot of them kind of view lw enforcement s 

 blue-collr job.” Officers sy they mke enough money to get by nd women police 

officers clim tht men nd women re pid eqully. 

The Image Barrier 

There’s  lot of women 

becuse they cn’t get 

over the wll or they 

cn’t drg the dummy... 

I think just women 

thinking tht they cn’t 

overcome the physicl 

prt of it. – Femle 

Police Officer 

A lot of [women] sy, “Oh 

I’d like to be  cop, but 

I don’t wnt to work the 

street, I wnt to be  de

tective”...they don’t wnt 

the confronttion. – Mle 

Police Officer 

I think in ddition to 

perception is tht when 

you’re looking for 

models, if you don’t see 

someone tht looks like 

you, then you don’t see 

yourself doing it. The 

perception is tht, yes, 

they might hve minority 

officers, but those things 

tht re constntly out 

there showing the other 

side of lw enforcement 

such s some outrech 

progrms tht the 

deprtment sponsors or 

ctively prticiptes in 

or ctively supports, you 

trditionlly don’t see 

minority officers as often 

s you see non-minority 

officers. – Male Minority 

Police Officer 

Ether [officers on TV] 

re rel ttrctive or 

extremely butch...But you 

hve to put those things 

in perspective, tht’s not 

relity. – Femle Police 

Officer 

­

Mny police officers re disppointed by the wy medi portrys the lw enforcement 

officils. “Medi plys  big role, they portry  lot of the bd things tht occur, they 

hve  lot of coverge on bd things tht hppen involving officers nd not enough of 

the good stuff so when you go to clls or you tlk to these kids, they think these officers 

re the bd guys,” sys  mle minority police officer. They lso sy the public is not 

wre of the mny spect of  police officer’s job: “They hve no ide the technology 

tht we use, the eduction tht you hve to hve to get through to become n officer, they 

don’t see ny of tht,” (femle minority police officer). Women note tht there re few 

television shows tht feture  womn in her uniform, nd ssocite shows tht present  

plin-clothes womn officer with  gun on her hip s using the sex ppel. 

Police officers struggle with the generl perceived imge the public hs of them s well. 

For women officers, this includes the ide tht  lw enforcement creer is more fitting 

to men thn women. Hispnic minority officers mention tht police officers re often 

not respected in their culture s  result of their corruption in countries such s Mexico. 

A minority officer explins, “For Hispnics, I think it’s culturl. The perception tht 

you’re not going to do  lot of good becuse of [imge of corrupt police in Mexico].” 

Other minority officers sy tht police officers re viewed unfvorbly in mny 

95 
96 

Appendix B 

­

minority neighborhoods nd thus they re seen s sell-outs for becoming police officers 

themselves. Explins  mle minority police officer, “As fr s people I grew up with, 

me being  police officer ws the lst thing nybody tht I grew up round would hve 

wnted to see becuse you know pretty much the people I grew up with were pretty much 

nti-lw enforcement.” 

Perceptions of the job 

itself. Police re portryed 

s the bd guys in some 

neighborhoods. – Mle 

Minority Police Officer 

I think one thing is 

people’s perception of 

lw enforcement, I men 

from  rcil stndpoint, 

especilly for minorities, 

it’s never been one of the 

more friendlier creers. 

– Mle Minority Police 

Officer 

Breaking the Barriers: Recruiting Young 

All officers undersore the importnce of plnting the seed of recruitment t  young ge. 

A mle minority officer sys, “You cn’t crete  cop fter they’re like 20 yers old... 

I think wht we relly need to focus on re like kids t school nd especilly the young 

kids, becuse once you turn 13, 14, your mind is set to wht you’re going to do nd 

very few people go bck to the right wy insted of the wrong wy.” They lso sy it is 

importnt for them to give kids the true imge of  police officer being  good person nd 

 person who is there to help them. Police officers re wre of their own responsibility 

to foster reltionships with young people both on nd off the job, but lso suggest the 

deprtment crete  reltionship s well. Women officers suggest sponsoring  girls’ 

sports tem nd minority officers suggest getting involved in church youth groups. 

Presence of officers in elementry schools is lso importnt. 

You get them in high 

school, you go to the 

thletic girls, you go to 

the ones tht re thinking 

of being in the militry. 

– Female Police Officer 

If we could t lest get 

our nme out there when 

they’re 9, 10, 11 yers 

old. – Femle Police 

Officer 

Breaking the Barriers: Recruiting Right 

Women re prticulrly cndid bout the vlue of recruiting the right kind of women 

to  lw enforcement creer. They wnt women who re tough, ssertive, nd thletic. 

Both minority nd women officers suggest looking to sports tems nd gyms. They 

lso suggest recruiting from criminl justice college clsses, nd from the militry. It is 

importnt, however, to repetedly recruit in these plces, rther thn only once or twice, 

s t  job fir.  femle minority officer mkes it cler: “When you’re looking for  

police officer, you’re looking for somebody with some ledership skills, somebody tht 

cn work well with others, somebody tht’s not frid to mke  decision. You need 

to hit the gyms, you need to hit the sports tems, you need to hit the mrketing nd 

mngement clsses becuse  lot of these kids tht re going into business hve to mke 

decisions. And you gott give people other options to look t, nd if you don’t hit ’em 

they’re not gonn even consider it.” 

I think wht the 

deprtment hs to relize 

is tht the investment 

hs to be long term, you 

cn’t expect for it to py 

off next yer, you gott 

expect it to py off mybe 

10-15 yers from now nd 

every yer therefter, but 

you cn’t invest  minute 

of your time nd expect 

 lifetime of rewrd, it’s 

just not going to hppen. 

– Mle Minority Police 

Officer 

Recruitment in Action: The Administration 

Both women nd minority officers consistently stte tht the role the dministrtion 

plys in recruitment is criticl on both  finncil level nd s morl support. Regrding 

recruiting,  femle minority police officer sttes, “And gin tht goes bck to 

something tht needs to be supported by the dministrtion, it relly does need to be 

supported by the dministrtion.” Mny officers re redy nd willing to go out into the 

community nd recruit women nd minority officers. Unfortuntely, they sy they simply 

do not hve the time, or cnnot fford to do so. Mny sy they would need to be pid for 

their time recruiting nd need n dministrtion tht is supportive of tht. 

Those who re motivted to volunteer their free time sy they still need morl nd 

orgniztionl support from the dministrtion. 

Bottom line is, we need 

the bcking of the mn

gement in order for us to 

go out nd, you know, do 

things. – Mle Minority 

Police Officer They need to feel  sense of pride from 
the dministrtion in order to exude tht excitement bout the deprtment when they 

go out to recruit. They lso need to know where there re opportunities to get involved. 

They sy the dministrtion should lso encourge more of the younger officers to get 

out into the community. 

Women police officers lso note tht importnce of women in high uthority positions. 

They re unhppy with the current representtion of women nd sy tht women who 

my wnt to join my be discourged by the lck of women rnked bove Lieutennt. 

Minority officers re lso concerned tht they re not represented in recruiting efforts. 

Lstly, women police officers re concerned with the dministrtion’s bility to be 

flexible. They wnt n dministrtion tht cn be cretive nd cn fit their needs, both in 

recruitment s well s once they re on the force. A femle officer sys, “our deprtment 

just strted to do some innovtive nd cretive things tht re ppeling to women 

wheres the sheriff’s deprtment just strted to do some innovtive nd cretive things 

tht re ppeling to women wheres the sheriff’s deprtment lredy hs those types of 

things in existence. They sy tht n dministrtion tht cn convey such complince 

nd responsiveness to  womn police officer’s needs cn go  long wy in recruiting 

more women. 

Recruitment in Action: Advertising 

Advertising ws not  hook for most of the prticipting officers, however they feel 

tht is n importnt piece of the recruitment effort. Women suggest n d with  womn 

police officer lone in her squd cr to show tht women police officers re ble to 

perform their job lone. Minority officers suggest commercils on culture-specific 

chnnels such s BET nd Spnish chnnels. Women mention tht the Scrmento Police 

Deprtment does not dverties with PORAC s mny other gencies do. 

Recruitment in Action: The Message 

Women nd minority police officers hve positives ides bout the Scrmento Police 

Deprtment nd re optimistic with the lnguge they would use to recruit officers. 

They stress tht  messge should include the vriety of work the field offers. A femle 

minority officer sys, “they need to know tht there’s more to the police deprtment 

thn the ptrol cr nd putting on the uniform dily. They need to know tht ther re 

severl different venues nd spects, directions tht you cn tke your creer in once 

you get inside the deprtment.” Another minority officer concurs, “I think give them the 

opportunities tht we hve, I men you cn brnch out to ll these different things, you 

don’t hve to just sty on ptrol, you cn go up the mngement, you go into SWAT. If 

you wnt to sit t  desk, you cn sit t  desk. If you wnt to chse soemone, you cn 

chse someone. I think they need to hve ll the options.” 

Appendix B 

Mybe just giving n 

officer a day a year or 

something, nd just sying 

hey go do something with 

kids. – Mle Minority 

Police Officer 

If the deprtment ws 

ccommodting, sure I 

would do it [recruiting]. 

– Female Police Officer 

Let’s be unique nd hve 

some sort of trining 

for people tht wnt to 

go through the trining, 

especilly the intimidted 

women. – Femle Police 

Officer 

PORAC is  huge thing, 

especilly for lterls... 

When you flip through 

there, other gencies hve 

huge color ds. – Femle 

Police Officer 

For me it’s fun, it’s chllenging, nd it’s not s 

hrd s you think it is. 

– Female Police Officer 

Chllenging nd diverse... 

every cll is different, 

how much more diverse 

cn you get thn tht? 

– Female Police Officer 

97 
Appendix B 

Discussion Guide 

•	 Wht ttrcted you to  creer in lw enforcement, in generl, nd the Scrmento Police Deprtment, 

in prticulr? 

Follow-up question: 

•	 If you chnged from n erlier creer pth or direction, wht influenced this chnge? 

•	 Why did you continue your employment with the Deprtment? Wht mkes you wnt to sty? 

•	 Wht kinds of brriers (socil, politicl, economic, personl, etc.) rel or perceived, prevent femles/ 

minority members from pplying for  job in lw enforcement? 

•	 Wht re wys tht the Scrmento Police Deprtment cn help cndidtes overcome these brriers? 

•	 Wht types of mrketing/recruiting informtions would ppel best to femles/minority members? For 

exmple, wht informtion would ttrct these cndidtes nd how should it be presented? 

•	 How nd where cn the Deprtment find qulified lw enforcement pplicnts tht represent the City’s 

diverse demogrphics? 

•	 Wht other ides do you hve for improving femle/minority recruiting for the Deprtment? 

•	 In wht wys might you, s employees, be ble to ssist in those recruiting efforts? 

98 
	 

Appendix C 

Appendix C 

Sacramento Police Department 

Community Focus Groups Discussion Guidelines 

I. Standard Introduction – (10 minutes) 

A. Explin focus group methodology 

B. Ground rules – A/V, no side converstion 

C. Prticipnt self-introduction 

II. Warm-up – (10 Minutes) 

A. Give me  word or  phrse tht fills in the blnk for you in this sentence: 

“I’m feeling “blnk” bout the wy things re going in Scrmento these 

dys.” 

1. Wht mkes you feel tht wy? 

2.	 Wht issues concern you the most? (Probe: sfety, crime, drugs...) 

3. Wht cn we do bout these problems? 

4.	 Whose responsibility is it to fix it? (Probe: prents, community leders, 

politicins, nd prticulr orgniztions...) 

III. Contact (20 Minutes)
 

(Pass Handouts)
 

A. WRITE. On the first pge of your hndout, I m going to sk tht you plese write 

down the first thing tht comes to mind when you think bout the Police Deprtment in 

Scrmento nd why do you feel tht wy? 

(Moderator: Let respondents write their response, then discuss their answers) 

If necessry to sk: 

1.	 Why do you feel tht wy? 

2.	 Wht hppened to mke you feel tht wy? 

3.	 Wht could hve mde  difference? 

B.	 Who hs hd contct with n officer? (Hand count out loud for tape recording 

purposes.) 

1.	 In wht context did you hve this contct? 

2.	 How long go ws this contct? 

3.	 Wht ws the contct like? 

4.	 Would you hve chnged nything bout tht contct? 

. If yes, wht would you hve chnged nd why? 

b.	 If no, why not? 

Sacramento Police Department/Insight Research, Inc. 

99 
Appendix C 

IV.	 Your City’s Police Force (20 minutes) 

A.	 WRITE. In your hndouts, plese write down wht the words “Community 

Policing” men to you? (Moderator, wait for respondents to write their 

answers down and then discuss.) 

Moderator: After discussion read ONLY IF NECESSARY: 

Community Policing is a four-tiered approach. Community oriented policing is 

proactive, solution-based, and community driven. It occurs when a law enforcement 

agency and law-abiding citizens work together to do four things: 

1.	 arrest offenders 

2.	 prevent crime 

3.	 solve on-going problems 

4.	 improve the overall quality of life 

B.	 Now, bsed on wht we’ve discussed nd the definition you just herd, wht do you like 

bout your city’s police force? 

C.	 Would you chnge nything bout your city’s police force? 

. If yes, wht would tht be? 

b.	 If no, why not? 

D.	 Wht vlues do you think tht your police force should hold? 

E.	 Do you think tht your city’s police force currently holds these vlues? 

. If yes, which ones nd how? 

b.	 If no, which ones nd why not? 

F. Who should be responsible for instituting nd mintining these vlues? 

G. How do you think your city’s police force could best incorporte those vlues? 

V.	 Characteristics (30 minutes) 

A.	 Wht re the most importnt tsks of  police officer? 

B.	 WRITE. In your hndouts, plese write down the trits or qulities tht you feel  good 

community-oriented police officer should hve. (Moderator, wait for respondents to 

write their answers down and then discuss.) 

Modertor: After discussion hnd-out nd discuss the POST Pece Officer 

Trits Hndout: 

Now, bsed on wht we’ve discussed nd the trits you hve just seen, wht trits re most 

importnt for police officers? 

C. Wht kind of person is most likely to embody those chrcteristics or qulities? 

100 Sacramento Police Department/Insight Research, Inc. 
Appendix C 

D.	 How might we determine if tht person possesses the necessry qulities? 

E.	 Do you think tht these qulities or chrcteristics cn be tught to individuls? 

F.	 Why do you think tht officers go into the job? (After complete discussion, probe: Is it 

because of their spirit of adventure, or their spirit of service?) 

1.	 Which one do you think is more importnt? Why? (Make sure to discuss “spirit 

of service” in more detail. This is what we’re looking for in police.) 

G.	 Wht chrcteristics or qulities might not be pproprite for police officers? 

H.	 How might we determine if they possess these qulities? 

I.	 Thinking bout ll of the trits we’d like to see in our new nd existing police officers, 

where do you think we cn go to find these types of cndidtes? Sources? 

VI.	 Citizen’s Role (15 minutes) 

A.	 Do community leders hve ny responsibilities in ssisting police deprtments? Why/Why 

not? 

B.	 Wht do you think is the best wy to do effective outrech cmpigns, nd
 

how to prtner with your orgniztion?
 

C.	 Would you be willing to ssist in ny wy s  community leder/citizen nd prticipte in 

policy mking, outrech recruitment efforts nd hiring? Why/Why not? 

D.	 Would you wnt to be  prt of  Steering Committee Group nd provide your input? 

MODERATOR, READ: The Hiring in the Spirit of Service Steering Committee Group 

consists of Lw Enforcement, City, nd Community members. They meet qurterly to 

provide insight nd guidnce on the Hiring in the Spirit of Service grnt project currently 

underwy t the Scrmento Police Deprtment. This project will review the Deprtment’s 

hiring prctices for police officers in the res of: Recruiting, Community Outrech, 

Occuptionl Testing, nd Psychologicl Screening, to identify best prctices in hiring 

community- or service-oriented police officer cndidtes. 

E. Would you be interested in prticipting in n orl interview pnels? Why/Why not? 

• Do you feel tht it is fesible to hve this type of pnels? Why/Why not? Benefits? 

VII.	 Recruitment Ads (15 minutes) 

Show one :30–second video nd 5 print ds. 

A.	 Wht is your first impression of this d? 

B.	 Wht is the messge of this d? 

Sacramento Police Department/Insight Research, Inc. 101 
102 

Appendix C 

C.	 Wht do you like/dislike bout this d? 

D.	 Is this ppeling to  citizen looking for  job s  police officer? Wht do you think mkes 

it ppeling? 

E.	 Is this consistent with the trits we re looking for in  police officer? 

F.	 How would you mke this d more effective? Is there nything missing tht would mke it 

better nd more likely to motivte potentil cndidtes to cll? 

G.	 Will this d ppel to our diverse community? 

H.	 How would you rte this d on  scle of 1 to 10, where 1 is tht the d is not convincing t 

ll nd 10 is very convincing. 

VIII.	 Wrap-Up (5 minutes) 

A.	 WRITE. When you think bout ll of the issues we hve discussed, nd bout the ones tht 

re relly importnt to you, who is on your side? 

1.	 Who is working for the kind of chnges we hve tlked bout? 

2.	 Who is working ginst them? 

3.	 Wht do you see the next police force chnging? 

MODERATOR: Pass Sign-up sheets for steering committee and interview panel at end of 

focus groups. 

Sacramento Police Department/Insight Research, Inc. 
Appendix D 

Appendix D 

Performance Appraisal of Police Officers 


Sacramento Police Department 


Prepared by: 

William Donnoe, Ed.D. 

Evan Sundby, Ph.D. 

July 2004 

Summary ................................................................................................................................... 105
 

Background ......................................................................................................................... 105
 

Review of the Literture .................................................................................................... 105
 

Public Sfety Officers Procedurl Bill of Rights ............................................................. 106
 

Personnel Records ................................................................................................. 106
 

Scrmento Police Deprtment Policy .............................................................................. 107
 

Responsibilities of Sergents/Supervisors ............................................................. 107
 

Citizen Complints ................................................................................................ 107
 

Employee Apprisl Files ....................................................................................... 108
 

Performance Appraisal Dimensions ....................................................................... 109
 

Opertionlly Defined Performnce Apprisl Dimensions ............................................... 111
 

A Model for Police Officer Performance Appraisal ................................. 115
 

Input from Police Deprtment Personnel .......................................................................... 115
 

Dt from Personnel Files ................................................................................................. 115
 

Unit Performnce ............................................................................................................... 115
 

Self Apprisl ..................................................................................................................... 115
 

References ............................................................................................................................. 116
 

Attachment 1. Appraisal Forms and Instructions .................................... 117
 

103 

Appendix D 

Summary 

This mnul provides  model nd mechnism for performnce pprisl of Police Officers for the City of 

Scrmento Police Deprtment. This Police Officer pprisl process ws developed under  grnt: “Hiring in the 

Spirit of Service,” from the United Sttes Deprtment of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS). 

This grnt llowed the Scrmento Police Deprtment to systemticlly study the trits tht Police Officers require 

for success on the job. These trits were coupled with behviorl dimensions identified in job nlysis work 

completed by POST. Together, these trits nd behviorl dimensions form the frmework for this Police Officer 

performnce pprisl process. 

The current policies of the Deprtment were pplied to the new performnce pprisl process. Using  360o 

evlution model, the pprisl process gthers performnce dt from  number of different sources, such s direct 

supervisor observtions, peer/tem input, existing personnel files, nd overll tem/unit performnce. 

This performnce pprisl system is designed to be utilized for Police Officers who hve completed their field 

trining phse nd initil probtionry period. The process culmintes in  formtive pprisl of n Officer’s 

job performnce, nd provides  mechnism for the supervisor to construct specific job-relted feedbck tht is 

designed to cknowledge good performnce, improve deficiencies, nd increse officer/tem/unit sfety. Further, 

the dt collected s  result of pplying this performnce pprisl process could be  foundtion for further 

reserch relted to Hiring in the Spirit of Service, ledership potentil, nd overll orgniztionl ssessment. 

Background 

Review of the Literature 

Systemtic performnce pprisl is regrded by some s the key to employee development nd s the centerpiece 

of n effective police personnel system (Trvis nd Brnn, 1997). Krmer (1998) stted tht “Performnce 

evlution remins essentil to keeping  cdre of dedicted, hrdworking, employees. Becuse every orgniztion 

is unique, lw enforcement gencies should crete individulized, effective performnce evlution systems.” 

Purposes of police personnel pprisl include n objective ssessment of performnce s it reltes to specific job 

tsks s well s to overll orgniztionl gols. It promotes  common understnding between the officer nd his 

or her supervisor. Often times, performnce pprisl hs been perceived s primrily  mechnism for negtive 

feedbck. However, it must be recognized tht the pprisl ssesses both job-relted strengths nd weknesses. 

Bsed on the results of the pprisl, n officer is provided feedbck bout his or her performnce nd developing 

courses of ction to improve performnce where needed. Apprisl systems cn lso be used for mking decisions 

bout ssignments nd promotions, s well s to determine deprtment-wide trining needs (Bennett nd Hess, 

2001). 

Some uthors hve identified the following s the most importnt elements of  performnce pprisl system: they 

re job-centered nd focus on the specific tsk or tsks to be performed; they re cler nd simply stted; they re 

observble s well s objective; they trget ctul on-the-job performnce; nd they re mesurble in terms of 

predetermined performnce stndrds (More, Wegener, nd Miller, 1999) 

Trditionlly, police officer performnce pprisl hs been unidimensionl. Tht is, the officer’s supervisor 

rtes the officer bsed on the supervisor’s observtions during the rting period. More recently, however,  360o 

evlution model hs been developed. This system hs lso been referred to s multi-rter systems or full-circle 

pprisl (Lepsinger nd Lici, 1997). The core of  360o performnce pprisl system involves collecting job 

105 
106 

Appendix D 

performnce dt from  number of different sources, such s direct supervisor observtions, peer/tem input, 

existing personnel files, nd overll tem/unit performnce. 

The current project involves the development of  performnce pprisl system for the position of Police Officer 

for the Scrmento City Police Deprtment under  grnt: “Hiring in the Spirit of Service,” from the United Sttes 

Deprtment of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing. The foundtion of the performnce pprisl 

system is the 360o model described bove. 

This performnce pprisl system ws specificlly tilored for the Scrmento Police Deprtment. The grnt 

llowed the Scrmento Police Deprtment to systemticlly study the trits tht Police Officers require for success 

on the job. These trits were coupled with behviorl dimensions identified in job nlysis work completed by the 

Cliforni Commission on Pece Officer Stndrds nd Trining (POST). Together, these trits nd behviorl 

dimensions form the frmework for the 360o performnce pprisl system. In ddition to this, the development 

of the performnce pprisl system ws guided by Cliforni Stte Lw, specificlly the Public Sfety Officers 

Procedurl Bill of Rights Act (Mrr nd Mrchnt, 2001), s well s by the policies of the Scrmento Police 

Deprtment nd the current employment contrct between the City of Scrmento nd the Scrmento Pece 

Officers Assocition. 

Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights 

The Public Sfety Officers Procedurl Bill of Rights Act (herefter referred to s the Act) specifies procedurl 

rights tht must be provided to Police Officers when they re subject to investigtion or discipline (the Act ppers 

in Government Code Sections 3300-3311). Performnce pprisl is not n investigtive process, nor  foundtion 

for discipline. Yet, some of the spects of the Act re relevnt when considering n pprisl process for Police 

Officers. These re discussed below. 

Personnel Records 

The term “personnel record” is defined in Penl Code Sec. 832.8 s: “any file maintained under that individual’s 

name by his or her employing agency and containing any records relating to” issues of employee pprisl (mong 

other relted res). 

Police Officers hve the right to receive notice of dverse comments entered into their personnel files, nd hve 

30 dys to mke  response to such comments (Govt. Code Secs. 3305 nd 3306). This right does not extend to 

comments tht re mde in connection with  promotionl exmintion. However, this hs direct implictions for 

the disposition of ny report of  Police Officer’s performnce, such s my be provided in  performnce pprisl 

report. 

A 2000 mendment to the Act gives  Police Officer the right to inspect personnel files tht re used or hve been 

used to mke ny personnel decisions (Sec. 3306.5). This new section lso permits n Officer to request correction 

or deletion of mteril tht he/she believes ws mistkenly or unlwfully plced in the file. Therefore, the Police 

Officer performnce pprisl process should include  mechnism for the ffected Officer to receive, review nd 

comment on ll pprisl reports tht re to become prt of ny personnel file, within the requirements of the Act. 
Appendix D 

Sacramento Police Department Policy 

Responsibilities of Sergeants/Supervisors. 

The Generl Orders of the Scrmento Police Deprtment (120.03) specify responsibilities of Sergents, to include: 

Sergents/supervisory personnel shll generlly be members ppointed in chrge of one or more employees. 

In ddition to generl nd individul responsibilities of ll employees, ech is specificlly responsible for the 

following: 

1. Closely monitoring the ctivities of subordintes, mking corrections whenever necessry nd commnding 

where pproprite. 

2. Supervising with firmness, delibertion, nd imprtility. The supervisor shll tke immedite ction when: 

ny subordinte violtes ny deprtmentl generl, office, divisionl or specil order;  complint is lodged 

ginst n employee; or n employee performs bove nd beyond the cll of duty. 

3. Providing ledership to include leding others to the fulfillment of common gols nd objectives, on-thejob trining s needed for efficient opertion, nd coordintion of effort when more thn one employee is 

involved. 

4. Exercising direct commnd in  mnner tht ssures the good order, conduct, discipline nd efficiency of 

subordintes. Exercise of commnd my extend to subordintes outside of the usul sphere of supervision 

if the objective or integrity of the Deprtment so requires; or if no other provision is mde for temporrily 

unsupervised personnel. 

5. Enforcing Deprtment rules to ensure complince with Deprtment policies nd procedures. 

6. Inspecting ctivities, personnel, nd equipment under their supervision nd initite suitble ction in the 

event of  filure, error, violtion, misconduct or neglect of duty by  subordinte. 

7. Hving  working knowledge of the duties nd responsibilities of subordintes. They shll observe 

contcts mde with the public, outside gencies, nd other employees nd be vilble for ssistnce or 

instruction. Field supervisors shll respond to clls of serious emergencies, felonies in progress, nd others 

unless ctively engged in  police incident. They should observe the conduct of the ssigned personnel 

nd tke chrge when necessry. 

Citizen Complaints 

Penl Code Sec. 832.5 requires every lw enforcement gency in Cliforni to estblish  procedure to investigte 

complints ginst pece officers mde by members of the public. Scrmento Police Deprtment Generl Order 

220.01, nd the Deprtment’s Complint Mnul ddress this Penl Code Section, nd provide specific policy 

regrding citizen complints. 

Citizen complints ginst  Police Officer constitute “dverse comments” with regrd to the Act. This requires 

review by the Officer before such comments cn be plced into  personnel file. Since citizen input my be prt 

of the complete performnce pprisl system, cre must be tken with regrd to how the citizen input is solicited, 

wht form it will constitute, nd how the informtion is hndled. 

107 
108 

Appendix D 

Employee Appraisal Files 

The Generl Orders (257.01 “Employee Apprisl File”) go on to provide specific policy nd procedure for 

performnce pprisls s follows:
 

PURPOSE 

To estblish criteri nd procedures for the content nd mintennce of employee pprisl files. 

POLICY 

To mintin n employee pprisl files on the divisionl level. 

PROCEDURE 

A.	 MAINTENANCE 

1. An employee pprisl file shll be mintined on every employee on the divisionl level. 

2. The mteril in the file shll serve s  supervisory id to identify wek res s well s 

specil ccomplishments of n employee while working in  prticulr division. 

3. Officil Chiefs shll ensure n employee pprisl file is kept on ll employees under their 

commnd. 

4. The file shll be mintined by ech division commnder nd shll include ech employee 

nd supervisor ssigned to the division. 

5. Office Chiefs shll mintin  file on ech division commnder within the office. 

6. The Chief of Police shll mintin n employee pprisl file on ech Office Chief nd the 

Cptin, Office of the Chief, nd mintin pprisl files on ll employees ssigned to the 

Office of the Chief. 

7. The file shll be exmined ech yer t the time of the employee’s yerly performnce 

pprisl. 

8. Documented disciplinry ctions, or other relted dverse documented comments entered in 

the employee’s pprisl file, shll be removed from the file fter one yer from the dte of 

documenttion. 

B.	 CONTENT 

1. The mteril to be included in the employee pprisl file shll consist of ny informtion 

tht could be utilized by  supervisor during the evlution of n employee. Such 

informtion shll include, but not be limited to: 

. Documenttion of orl reprimnds, counseling sessions, or verbl wrnings 

b. Copies of letters or reprimnds 

c. Copies of letters of suspensions 

d. Letters of commendtion, wrds, nd certifictes 

e. Copies of qurterly inspection sheets, performnce evlutions, etc. 

f. Generl order verifiction sheets 

g. Copies of injury reports 

h. Copies of trnsfer requests 

i. Clendr pges 
Appendix D 

2. Nothing dverse to the employee’s interest shll be entered into the employee pprisl file 

without the employee hving first red nd signed the document. 

. If n employee refuses to sign the document, the refusl shll be indicted on the 

pper with the dte, time nd supervisor’s initils. 

b. An employee my dd written comments to ny document plced in the file. 

3. Employees shll be llowed to inspect the folder when convenient nd in the presence of  

supervisor. 

4. When employees trnsfer to nother Division, their pprisl file shll be forwrded to the 

employee’s new ssignment. 

This is lso consistent with the current lbor contrct, Section 23.14 (Agreement Between the 

Scrmento Pece Officers Assocition nd the City of Scrmento, 2001 - 2005). 

Performance Appraisal Dimensions 

Under  grnt from the United Sttes Deprtment of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing, the 

Scrmento Police Deprtment systemticlly studied the trits tht Police Officers require for success on the job. 

Of prticulr interest in this review ws the concept of “Hiring in the Spirit of Service,” nd how the trits needed 

for success could include those skill sets necessry for community policing. Within this context, the following 

trits were identified s core vlues for Scrmento Police Deprtment Officers by community nd internl focus 

groups: Adaptability, Commitment to Service, Communication Skills, Compassion, Empathy, Flexibility, Honesty, 

Integrity, Objectivity, Patience, Personal Interest, Respect, Social Concern, Strong Work Ethic, Tolerance, Wisdom. 

The Scrmento Police Deprtment’s recruiting cmpign for new Entry Level Police Cdets specifies the 

following core vlues: Courage, Involvement, Compassion, Dedication, Commitment, Integrity, Communication. 

The Cliforni Commission on Pece Officer Stndrds nd Trining (POST) hs systemticlly studied the 

trits required for the Police Officer job. These re stted in 1) POST’s behviorl dimensions, 2) POSTS’s 

psychologicl screening dimensions, nd 3) POST’s orl interview guidelines. The POST behviorl dimensions 

include: Communication Skills, Problem Solving Ability, Learning Ability, Judgment under Pressure, Observational 

Skills, Willingness to Confront Problems, Interest in People, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Desire for Self-improvement, 

Appearance, Dependability, Physical Ability, Integrity, Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Credibility as a Witness in 

Court. The POST psychological screening dimensions include: Social Competence, Teamwork, Adaptability/ 

Flexibility, Conscientiousness/ Dependability, Impulse Control/Attention to Safety, Integrity/Ethics, Emotional 

Regulation and Stress Tolerance, Decision Making and Judgment, Assertiveness/Persuasiveness, Avoiding 

Substance Abuse and Other Risk Taking Behavior. The POST orl interview trits include: Experience, Problem 

Solving, Communication Skills, Interest/Motivation, Interpersonal Skills, Community Involvement/Awareness. 

From these vrious sets of dimensions or Police Officer trits, common elements were identified nd new 

composite groupings of trits were generted, nd identified s the Performnce Apprisl Dimensions for the 

City of Scrmento Police Deprtment, Police Officer position. Figure 1 shows these dimensions, nd how they 

re relted to the other job nlysis sources. Following Figure 1, these Performnce Apprisl Dimensions re 

opertionlly defined, to include exmples of positive behviors nd counterproductive behviors. 

109 
Appendix D 

Figure 1. Overview of Police Officer Dimensions 

110 

SPD Community 

Policing Focus 

Group 

SPD 

Recruiting 

Campaign 

POST 

Peace Officer Job 

Dimensions 

(Behavioral 

Dimensions) 

POST Psychological 

Screening 

Dimensions 

POST 

Oral Interview 

Dimensions 

SPD 

Performance 

Appraisal 

Dimensions 

Communiction 

Skills 

Communiction Communiction 

Skills, Credibility s 

 Witness in Court 

Communiction 

Skills 

Communiction 

Skills 

Compssion, 

Empthy, Tolernce, 

Respect 

Compssion Interpersonl 

Sensitivity, Interest 

in People 

Socil 

Competence, 

Temwork 

Interpersonl Skills Interpersonl Skills 

Honesty nd 

Integrity 

Integrity Integrity Integrity / Ethics Integrity 

Personl Interest Interest / Motivtion 

Commitment to 

Service nd 

Socil Concern 

Commitment nd 

Involvement 

Community 

Involvement / 

Awreness 

Commitment to 

Service 

Strong Work Ethic Dediction Dependbility, Desire 

for Self-improvement 

Conscientiousness / 

Dependbility 

Experience Work Ethic 

Objectivity, 

Wisdom 

Courge Observtionl Skill, 

Problem Solving 

Ability, Judgment 

Under Pressure, 

Willingness to 

Confront Problems 

Decision Mking 

nd Judgment, 

Assertiveness / 

Persusiveness 

Problem Solving Problem Solving 

Adptbility / 

Flexibility 

Adptbility / 

Flexibility 

Ptience Impulse Control / 

Attention to Sfety 

Sfety 

Appernce Demenor 

Physicl Ability 

Opertion of  

Motor Vehicle 

Opertion of  

Motor Vehicle 

Lerning Ability 

Emotionl 

Regultion nd 

Stress Tolernce 

Avoiding 

Substnce Abuse 

nd Other Risk 

Tking Behvior 
Appendix D 

Operationally Defined Performance Appraisal Dimensions 

COMMUNICATION SKILLS 

This includes n Officer’s written communiction nd police reports; nd orl communiction with individuls nd 

groups both inside nd outside of the Police Deprtment. 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Reports re techniclly correct nd free of errors 

•	 Writing is concise 

•	 Legl nd technicl issues re ppropritely ddressed in written work. 

•	 Comfortble speking before groups, both inside nd outside of the Police Deprtment 

•	 Uses rdio ppropritely 

•	 Provides pproprite verbl commnds in field situtions 

•	 Communictes tctfully nd effectively 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Reports often contin errors tht must be edited 

•	 Uses profnity nd other inpproprite lnguge 

•	 Exhibits “stge fright” when sked to spek in front of groups 

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS 

This includes n Officer’s ttitude, compssion, empthy, tolernce nd respect with regrd to interctions with 

individuls nd groups both inside nd outside of the Police Deprtment; his/her cceptnce by others; nd his/her 

bility to function s  member of  tem. 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Recognizes needs nd concerns of others 

•	 Clms emotionl/ngry people nd defuses conflicts through medition, negotition nd persusion 

rther thn force 

•	 Refrins from mking remrks tht could be interpreted s rude or condescending 

•	 Intercts with others in  courteous nd respectful mnner 

•	 Provides service/renders id or ssistnce in n unbised fshion 

•	 Awre of nd sensitive to socil, economic nd culturl differences, including those ssocited with 

gender, sexul orienttion, rce, nd religion 

•	 Supports nd recognizes the ccomplishment of tem members 

•	 Supports group efforts rther thn competing for individul recognition 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Does not ssist fellow officers 

•	 Avoids sking others for ssistnce 

•	 Alientes collegues by dominting interctions nd ctivities 

•	 Gossips, criticizes nd bckstbs collegues nd coworkers 

•	 Mkes inpproprite or insensitive comments to community members or coworkers regrding 

personl, culturl, sexul, etc., chrcteristics 

•	 Specificlly trgets individuls bsed on culturl, rcil, gender, sexul, nd other chrcteristics 

111 
112 

Appendix D 

INTEGRITY 

This includes n Officer’s ttitude, performnce nd commitment with regrd to following nd enforcing rules, 

regultions nd lws; mintins high stndrds of personl conduct; demonstrtes honesty, imprtility, nd 

trustworthiness.
 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Confronts coworkers who engge in unethicl/illegl conduct 

•	 Tkes ction to prevent unethicl/illegl conduct by others 

•	 Gives honest testimony 

•	 Prepres truthful nd ccurte sworn ffidvits 

•	 Does not shre or relese confidentil informtion 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Shdes the truth, omits fcts, mkes flse or misleding sttements or otherwise engges in “cretive 

writing” 

•	 Breks/bends rules, believing tht the end justifies the mens 

•	 Abuses privileges nd benefits of the job 

•	 Hs inpproprite professionl boundry issues (e.g., reltionships with victims, informnts, etc.) 

COMMITMENT TO SERVICE 

This includes n Officer’s commitment to provide excellent service to individuls nd groups both inside nd 

outside of the Police Deprtment.
 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Recognizes, pprecites, nd dpts to the diverse cultures, rces, religions, etc., of those with whom 

he/she works 

•	 Awre of nd sensitive to socil, economic nd culturl differences of the community 

•	 Respectful when intercting with different cultures, rces, religions etc. 

•	 Strives to provide excellent services to those directly impcted by his/her ssignment 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Does not cre 

•	 Does not use  customer service pproch 

•	 Avoids going the extr mile tht would mke people feel good bout the services provided 

•	 Alientes those served 

•	 Mkes inpproprite or insensitive comments regrding those served 

WORK ETHIC 

This includes n Officer’s work ptterns, personl responsibility for ccomplishment of ssignments, persevernce, 

lck of procrstintion, loylty to the orgniztion, nd personl gol setting ctions. 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Strives to meet dedlines nd otherwise complete work in timely mnner 

•	 Does more thn just hndle clls; productively uses unstructured time to identify nd resolve problems 

on the bet, ddress community problems nd otherwise meet orgniztionl gols 

•	 Honors nd follows through on commitments, even when it’s inconvenient or unplesnt to do so 

•	 Completes ccurte nd timely reports 

•	 Works hrd 
Appendix D 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Procrstintes 

•	 Costs towrd the end of the shift 

•	 Poor ttendnce 

•	 Gives up or cuts corners when fced with obstcles 

PROBLEM SOLVING 

This includes n Officer’s observtionl skills, common sense, bility to ddress problems in  systemtic nd sfe 

mnner, nd bility to mke pproprite nd timely decisions under pressure, nd his/her willingness to confront 

problems. 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Gthers nd criticlly evlutes importnt informtion before deciding on  course of ction 

•	 Knows when to confront, nd when to bck wy from, potentilly explosive situtions 

•	 Mkes timely, sound decisions on the spot, if necessry, even in situtions where informtion is 

incomplete nd/or conflicting 

•	 Cn step into  tense sitution involving severl people nd figure out wht probbly led up to tht 

point in time, s well s wht is likely to hppen s the sitution unfolds 

•	 Expediently sizes up situtions nd identifies the underlying problem(s) 

•	 Applies lessons lerned from pst mistkes/experiences when fced with similr problems 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Cnnot mke  decision in  crisis sitution 

•	 Unble or unwilling to mke mid-course corrections on initil course of ction when presented with 

new informtion 

•	 Hs tunnel vision; does not see the big picture when nlyzing dt 

•	 Fils to identify ptterns nd implictions when nlyzing dt nd informtion 

SAFETY 

This includes n Officer’s ttitudes nd ctions with regrd to personl sfety, sfety of other officers, nd sfety 

for the public. 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Tkes effective, expedient ction in crisis situtions 

•	 Resolves problems in wys tht does not rouse unnecessry ntgonism 

•	 Thinks things through before cting 

•	 Crefully uses nd mintins equipment, wepons, etc. 

•	 Consistently possesses ll issued equipment 

•	 Follows Deprtment policy in ll ctions tht hve sfety implictions (e.g., contct with suspects, use 

of force, etc.) 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Provokes suspects 

•	 Creless 

•	 Underestimtes risk 

•	 Rects in  knee-jerk mnner to emergency events 

•	 Acts without thinking 

•	 Overrects when chllenged or criticized 

•	 Fils to tke ction when required or requested 

113 
114 

Appendix D 

DEMEANOR 

This includes n Officer’s physicl demenor nd field presence; bility to present to the public  positive nd 

confident imge in the fce of dverse situtions; nd his/her uniform nd grooming.
 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Recognizes the impct of one’s own verbl nd nonverbl communictions on others (nd mkes sure 

both re consistent nd pproprite) 

•	 Shows sensitivity nd concern towrds the feelings of others 

•	 Displys tct nd imprtility in treting ll members of society 

•	 Confronts problems, even in potentilly explosive situtions; doesn’t bck wy unless tcticlly 

necessry 

•	 Able to persude/medite disputes nd conflicts 

•	 Able to use voice commnds to control conflict, speking clmly, clerly nd uthorittively 

•	 Cn ppropritely tke control in group situtions, coordinting resources, etc. 

•	 Mintins skill nd fitness level 

•	 Mintins uniform nd equipment 

•	 Proudly wers uniform 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Displys submissiveness nd insecurity in chllenging or thretening situtions 

•	 Is hesitnt to exert influence in uncomfortble/stressful situtions 

•	 Overberingly tkes over control of situtions, thereby esclting tensions nd risks 

•	 Fils to mintin skill nd fitness levels 

•	 Uniform is shoddy nd grooming is disheveled 

OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE 

This includes n Officer’s bility to operte  motor vehicle in  sfe mnner; nd his/her dherence to Deprtment 

policies relted to vehiculr opertion nd sfety. 

Positive Behaviors: 

•	 Drives within limits of the sitution 

•	 Tkes proper precutions during nd fter vehicle pursuits, trffic stops, etc. 

•	 Driving prctices re sfe during routine nd high rousl ctivities 

•	 Shows ttention to nd wreness of trffic hzrds 

•	 Complies with sfety rules 

Counterproductive Behaviors: 

•	 Drives recklessly nd t excessive speeds 

•	 Gets in voidble/excessive trffic ccidents 

•	 Fils to follow Deprtment policy (e.g. pursuit driving, use of emergency equipment) 

•	 Fils to leve vehicle in pproprite condition t end of shift 
Appendix D 

A Model for Police Officer Performance 

Appraisal 

The term “360o evlution” hs come to men the considertion of input from  vriety of sources, beyond the 

trditionl supervisory perspective. In the cse of Police Officer performnce pprisls,  360o pprisl process 

will include the supervisor’s direct observtions, s well s considertion of informtion from such sources s 1) 

input from others in the Police Deprtment who hve observed this Officer’s performnce (e.g., peers nd support 

personnel), 2) dt from the officil personnel file (i.e., the employee pprisl file on the divisionl level), 3) 

considertion of unit chievements tht re  direct reflection of tem effort, nd hve been impcted nd/or 

influenced by the Officer being evluted, nd 4)  self-pprisl by the Officer. 

A trditionl 360o pprisl model will formlize vrious sources of input, nd go so fr s to collect performnce 

rtings from people other thn the supervisor, either by questionnires or one-on-one interviews. This is not wht 

is intended for this performnce pprisl process. Insted, this “360o

” process should include multiple sources of 

dt, lredy vilble to the supervisor, tht re considered in the overll pprisl. For exmple, it is not intended 

tht n Officer’s performnce be evluted by either community members or other Officers; this would not be fir 

to ny of the involved prties. Insted, it is intended tht the supervisor seek out sources of informtion regrding 

n Officer, beyond his/her immedite observtions. This cn be ccomplished throughout the pprisl term (e.g., 

over the course of  yer), from input tht is provided or requested by the supervisor. For exmple, it is expected 

tht  supervisor will her both positive nd negtive feedbck bout n Officer’s performnce; this cn come from 

peer Officers, other supervisors, or support personnel. Such multiple sources of input will ensure  fir nd relible 

overll pprisl by the Officer’s immedite supervisor. Ech of these sources of informtion re discussed below. 

Input from Police Department Personnel 

It is recommended tht the Supervisor go directly to the Officer’s peers nd others in the Police Deprtment who 

will know the Officer’s work, nd sk for verbl, informl input regrding performnce. 

Data from Personnel Files 

Dt from the officil personnel file (i.e., the employee pprisl file on the divisionl level) my include 

commendtions nd/or sustined complints which will ssist in rting the Officer on one or more of the 

Performnce Apprisl Dimensions. 

Unit Performance 

The City of Scrmento, nd the Scrmento Police Deprtment hve dopted n Orgniztionl Assessment model 

tht cn be pplied to ny progrm of the Deprtment, or ny unit, section, division or office of the Deprtment. 

Although these evlutions my not be formlly in plce in every orgniztionl unit/section/progrm, the 

supervisor will hve some good ides bout overll performnce. In considertion of this, the supervisor should 

consider the Officer’s impct or contribution to the overll chievement of unit/section/progrm gols. 

Self Appraisal 

It is recommended tht the Officer complete  self-pprisl prior to meeting with the supervisor to discuss the 

results of the pprisl process. This self-pprisl cn ssist both the Officer nd supervisor in determining ny 

needed chnges, trining, or development. 

115 
116 

Appendix D 

References 

Bennett, Wyne W. nd Hess, Kren M. (2001). Mngement nd Supervision in Lw Enforcement, Third Edition. 

Wdsworth/Thompson Lerning, Belmont, CA. 

Cliforni Government Code Sections 3300-3311. Public Sfety Officers Procedurl Bill of Rights Act. 

Cliforni Penl Code Sec. 832.8. 

Krmer, Michel. (1998). Designing n Individulized Performnce Evlution System: A Vlues Bsed Process. 

FBI Lw Enforcement Bulletin, Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 20-26. 

Lepsinger, Richrd nd Lici, Anntoinette D. (1997). The Art nd Science of 360o Feedbck. Pfeiffer, An Imprint of 

Jossey-Bss Inc., Publishers. Sn Frncisco, CA. 

Mrr, Cecil nd Mrchnt, Dine. (2001). Pocket Guide to the Public Sfety Officers Procedurl Bill of Rights 

Act. Cliforni Public Employee Reltions, University of Cliforni, Berkeley, CA. 

More, Hrry W., Wegener, W. Fred, nd Miller, Lrry S. (1999). Effective Police Supervision, Third Edition. 

Anderson Publishing Compny, Cincinnti, OH. 

Scrmento Police Deprtment Generl Orders. 

Trvis, J. nd Brnn, J. (1997). Mesuring Wht Mtters: Developing Mesures of Wht the Police Do. Ntionl 

Institute of Justice Reserch in Action. Wshington, D.C. Deprtment of Justice. 
Appendix D 

Sacramento Police Department 

Police Officer Performance Appraisal Form 

Instructions to supervisors: In ddition to your direct observtions of this Officer’s performnce, consider 

informtion from such sources s 1) input from others in the Police Deprtment who hve observed this Officer’s 

performnce (e.g., peers nd support personnel), 2) dt from the officil personnel file (i.e., the employee pprisl 

file on the divisionl level), 3) considertion of unit chievements tht re  direct reflection of tem effort, nd 

hve been impcted nd/or influenced by the Officer being evluted, nd 4)  self-pprisl by the Officer. 

At the conclusion of the pprisl process, conduct  forml “Performnce Apprisl Meeting” with the Officer. 

At lest two weeks prior to this meeting, inform the Officer tht the pprisl process in underwy, nd gree on  

meeting time nd dte. Provide the Officer with his/her blnk copy of this pprisl pckge, nd request tht he/ 

she complete  self-pprisl tht will be ddressed during the meeting. 

During the meeting, the Officer should be sked to discuss his/her self pprisl. As the supervisor, you will 

discuss your pprisl. The purpose of the meeting is to conclude the pprisl period, recognize the Officer’s 

chievements nd strengths, nd develop gols for ny needed improvement. 

Generl Order 257.01 “Employee Apprisl File” specifies tht n employee pprisl file shll be mintined on 

every employee on the divisionl level, nd mteril in the file shll serve s  supervisory id to identify wek 

res s well s specil ccomplishments of n employee while working in  prticulr division. 

The pprisl report completed by the supervisor will become prt of the “Employee Apprisl File.” Nothing 

dverse to the Officer’s interest cn be entered into the this report without the Officer hving first red nd signed 

it. If the Officer refuses to sign the pprisl report, the refusl shll be indicted on the report with the dte, time 

nd supervisor’s initils. The Officer my dd written comments to ny document plced in the file. 

Refer to the Performnce Apprisl Mnul for complete definitions of ech Apprisl Dimension. These will 

include specific exmples of positive behviors, nd counterproductive behviors. Use specific exmples of the 

Officer’s performnce bsed on his/her ssignment when providing comments on the pprisl forms. 

Officer Instructions. You should review this pprisl pckge nd be prepred to provide your supervisor with  

self pprisl, by dimension. You my wish to recll specific exmples of chievements nd positive ctions tht 

you hve hd, by dimension, during this rting period. 

Supervisor’s Nme: 

Division: 

For ech Performance Appraisal Dimension provide 1)  rting of the Officer’s performnce, nd 2) comments tht 

provide the bsis for the rting. After the dimensions, provide n Overll rting with comments. Allow the Officer 

to enter his/her comments t the end of the form. Mke sure tht the Officer’s nme,  dte of pprisl re entered 

on every pge. 

117 
Appendix D 

118 

Police Officer’s Name: ___________________________ Date of Appraisal: ___________ 

Rating Scale: 

E = Exceeds Expectations 

M = Meets Expectations 

D = Does Not Meet Expectations 

COMMUNICATION SKILLS. This includes an Officer’s written communication and police reports; and oral communication with 

individuls nd groups both inside nd outside of the Police Deprtment. 

Comments: Rting 

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS. This includes an Officer’s attitude, compassion, empathy, tolerance and respect with regard to interactions 

with individuls nd groups both inside nd outside of the Police Deprtment; his/her cceptnce by others; nd his/her bility to function 

s  member of  tem. 

Comments: Rting 

INTEGRITY. This includes an Officer’s attitude, performance and commitment with regard to following and enforcing rules, regulations 

nd lws; mintins high stndrds of personl conduct; demonstrtes honesty, imprtility, nd trustworthiness. 

Comments: Rting 

COMMITMENT TO SERVICE. This includes an Officer’s commitment to provide excellent service to individuals and groups both 

inside nd outside of the Police Deprtment. 

Comments: Rting 

WORK ETHIC. This includes an Officer’s work patterns, personal responsibility for accomplishment of assignments, perseverance, lack 

of procrstintion, loylty to the orgniztion, nd personl gol setting ctions. 

Comments: Rting 

PROBLEM SOLVING. This includes an Officer’s observational skills, common sense, ability to address problems in a systematic and 

sfe mnner, nd bility to mke pproprite nd timely decisions under pressure, nd his/her willingness to confront problems. 

Comments: Rting 
Appendix D 

SAFETY. This includes an Officer’s attitudes and actions with regard to personal safety, safety of other officers, and safety for the public. 

Comments: Rting 

DEMEANOR. This includes an Officer’s physical demeanor and field presence; ability to present to the public a positive and confident 

imge in the fce of dverse situtions; nd his/her uniform nd grooming. 

Comments: Rting 

OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. This includes an Officer’s ability to operate a motor vehicle in a safe manner; and his/her 

dherence to Deprtment policies relted to vehiculr opertion nd sfety. 

Comments: Rting 

OVERALL PERFORMANCE. 

Comments: Rting 

Officer’s Comments: 

Signature of Officer: Date: 

Signture of Supervisor: Dte: 

119 
120 

Appendix E 

Appendix E 

Use of the Hilson Job Analysis Questionnaire (HJAQ) 
 

for Identifying Desired Characteristics of Community 
 

Oriented Police Officers
 

Robin Inwald, Ph.D.
 

Hilson Research, Inc.
 

As prt of  government-sponsored reserch project, the Hilson Job Analysis Questionnaire (HJAQ) ws 

dministered to 291 individuls, including two groups of currently employed police officers (n = 90), their 

supervisors (n = 30), nd  group of civilins from the locl community (n = 171). The police officers were prt 

of  specil squd of community-oriented police officers nd were divided ccording to those who were currently 

ssigned to specil community-oriented positions (n = 56) nd those who were once ssigned to this group but were 

no longer working in this unit (n = 34). 

Prticipnts in these four groups endorsed items on the HJAQ indicting which chrcteristics they believed to be 

“essentil,” “importnt” or “not importnt” for success s  community-oriented police officer. Since it is difficult 

to crefully screen for more thn  few key chrcteristics during the pre-employment or selection phse in  police 

gency (without screening out the mjority of cndidtes), the top three res tht were rted s most importnt by 

the respondents were identified first. 

It ws found tht the top three res endorsed by the community members (see Tble 1) were “Admission of 

Shortcomings,” “Communiction Skills” nd “Frustrtion Tolernce.” This suggests tht the civilins were 

most concerned bout selecting community reltions officers who would be honest nd insightful bout their 

own boundries, ble to communicte with the public, nd would not be prone to temper outbursts or to other 

impulsive behviors. These results mtch the top three res identified by the police supervisors (see Tble 2). 

This finding suggests tht the community nd the police dministrtion in this gency gree on the most importnt 

chrcteristics to ssess for community-oriented police officer positions. 

A review of the responses from the community reltions officers themselves shows  mtch with the other two 

groups on the first two chrcteristics rted s most importnt, “Admission of Shortcomings” nd “Communiction 

Skills” (see Tbles 3 nd 4). The third re rted s most importnt by both the current nd pst community 

reltions officers ws “Lck of Procrstintion.” This difference my reflect the orgniztion’s internl requirements 

for finishing projects/tsks in  timely mnner. Perhps the filure of fellow community-oriented police officers 

to complete work on time puts pressure on the other officers, creting friction mong the stff. In ny cse, the 

fourth re of importnce rted by both current nd pst community reltions officers ws “Frustrtion Tolernce,” 

suggesting tht ll four groups hd similr results. By ttending to the top four res in the selection process,  

screening progrm will be ble to meet the stndrds requested by both employees nd civilins (see Tble 5). 

If the next three most importnt res identified by the HJAQ re evluted (rnkings 4, 5, nd 6 in ech group), 

it cn be seen tht both the current nd pst community reltions officers greed with their community members’ 

concerns for selecting officers with good “Frustrtion Tolernce (rnking 4).” “Work Ptterns” (indicting  lck of 

bsence, lteness, nd other job-djustment problems) nd “Lck of Asocil Behviors” were lso dded by both 

groups of community reltions officers (rnkings 5 nd 6). 
Appendix E 

The next three most importnt res for supervisors included “Work Ptterns,” “Lck of Procrstintion,” nd 

“Lck of Asocil Behviors,” ll res endorsed by the two community reltions officer groups s well. The 

community members group dded “Lck of Procrstintion,” “Work Ptterns,” nd “Attention to Sfety Issues” 

s their next most importnt chrcteristics. It should be noted tht “Lck of Asocil Behviors” followed s the 

seventh most importnt re rted by the community members, suggesting tht there were no mjor differences in 

the rtings of community members when compred with those of police personnel in this study. 

Since the res identified bove s most importnt for screening successful community-oriented police officers 

re included in  comprehensive test bttery used by the gency for this purpose, these results lend support for the 

use of such testing in the lw enforcement field. However, it is importnt not to overestimte the vlue of  survey 

of this kind. Regrdless of which chrcteristics police personnel nd civilins identify s most importnt, it is 

longitudinl reserch nd cross-vlidtion of such reserch tht will identify which chrcteristics ctully predict 

successful performnce. The results of this survey verify tht both civilins nd the lw enforcement community 

re in greement s to the generl direction such pre-employment screening should tke. 

Finlly, it should be noted tht the supervisors in this study hd lower djusted scores on the HJAQ when compred 

with prticipnts in the three other groups. The supervisors did not seem to vlue these chrcteristics s much s 

did the officers nd civilins. A study of the performnce of these supervisors would indicte whether or not they 

re dhering to the stndrds of their officers nd their community. 

121 
122 

Appendix E 

Table 1 


Weighted Percentages of Overall HJAQ Scores 


OCCUPATION ANALYZED: COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICE OFFICER 


ANALYZED BY: COMMUNITY MEMBERS (HJAQ = 171) 


HJAQ Scales Adjusted Scores Rankings 

Lerning Ability – I&E Lerning Ability – I&E 

59.53 

59.53 

Work Ethic: 

Work Ptterns – I&E 77.24 5 

Persevernce – I&E 65.53 

Lck of Procrstintion – I&E 78.25 4 

Loylty to Orgniztion – I&E 73.44 

Gol Setting Behvior – I&E 69.74 

Socil Skills: 

Socil Acceptnce by Others – I&E 63.16 

Communiction Skills – I&E * 81.77 2 

Extroverted Behvior Ptterns –I&E 53.97 

Enterprising Spirit: 

Willingness to Compete – I&E 56.81 

Self-Confidence – I&E 71.35 

Socil Judgment: 

Admission of Shortcomings – I&E * 84.21 1 

Socil Awreness – I&E 70.15 

Lck of Socil Wriness – I&E 61.81 

Frustrtion Tolernce – I&E * 78.65 3 

Conscientiousness: 

Lck of Asocil Attitudes –I&E 59.21 

Lck of Asocil Behviors – I&E 73.98 

Sfety Behviors: 

Attention to Sfety Issues – I&E 77.05 6 

Mngeril Ability – I&E 66.37 

Persusiveness/Sles Ability – I&E 49.06 

Cregiving Interest – I&E 60.82 
Appendix E 

Table 2 


Weighted Percentages of Overall HJAQ Scores 


OCCUPATION ANALYZED: COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICE OFFICER 


ANALYZED BY: SUPERVISORS, GROUP 2 (HJAQ = 30) 


All HJAQ Scales Adjusted Scores Rankings 

Lerning Ability – I&E 49.67 

Work Ethic: 

Work Ptterns – I&E 73.33 4 

Persevernce – I&E 53.13 

Lck of Procrstintion – I&E 72.67 5 

Loylty to Orgniztion – I&E 68.89 

Gol Setting Behvior – I&E 65.83 

Socil Skills: 

Socil Acceptnce by Others – I&E 53.61 

Communiction Skills – I&E * 76.11 2 

Extroverted Behvior Ptterns –I&E 50.71 

Enterprising Spirit: 

Willingness to Compete – I&E 50.24 

Self-Confidence – I&E 64.00 

Socil Judgment: 

Admission of Shortcomings – I&E * 76.67 1 

Socil Awreness – I&E 62.17 

Lck of Socil Wriness – I&E 52.33 

Frustrtion Tolernce – I&E * 75.00 3 

Conscientiousness: 

Lck of Asocil Attitudes –I&E 55.83 

Lck of Asocil Behviors – I&E 72.33 6 

Sfety Behviors: 

Attention to Sfety Issues – I&E 67.92 

Mngeril Ability – I&E 59.33 

Persusiveness/Sles Ability – I&E 46.67 

Cregiving Interest – I&E 48.06 

123 
124 

Appendix E 

Table 3 


Weighted Percentages of Overall HJAQ Scores 


OCCUPATION ANALYZED: COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICE OFFICER 


ANALYZED BY: CURRENT COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICERS, GROUP 1 (HJAQ = 56) 


All HJAQ Scales Adjusted Scores Rankings 

Lerning Ability – I&E 55.89 

Work Ethic: 

Work Ptterns – I&E 79.91 5 

Persevernce – I&E 67.86 

Lck of Procrstintion – I&E * 81.07 3 

Loylty to Orgniztion – I&E 76.04 

Gol Setting Behvior – I&E 77.90 

Socil Skills: 

Socil Acceptnce by Others – I&E 60.71 

Communiction Skills – I&E * 87.20 1 

Extroverted Behvior Ptterns –I&E 67.22 

Enterprising Spirit: 

Willingness to Compete – I&E 59.57 

Self-Confidence – I&E 76.07 

Socil Judgment: 

Admission of Shortcomings – I&E * 83.93 2 

Socil Awreness – I&E 72.05 

Lck of Socil Wriness – I&E 54.82 

Frustrtion Tolernce – I&E 80.06 4 

Conscientiousness: 

Lck of Asocil Attitudes –I&E 62.05 

Lck of Asocil Behviors – I&E 79.46 6 

Sfety Behviors: 

Attention to Sfety Issues – I&E 74.55 

Mngeril Ability – I&E 71.43 

Persusiveness/Sles Ability – I&E 50.89 

Cregiving Interest – I&E 59.23 
Appendix E 

Table 4 


Weighted Percentages of Overall HJAQ Scores 


OCCUPATION ANALYZED: COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICE OFFICER 


ANALYZED BY: PAST COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICERS, GROUP 3 (HJAQ = 34) 


All HJAQ Scales Adjusted Scores Rankings 

Lerning Ability – I&E 50.29 

Work Ethic: 

Work Ptterns – I&E 79.66 5 

Persevernce – I&E 61.95 

Lck of Procrstintion – I&E * 81.18 3 

Loylty to Orgniztion – I&E 73.28 

Gol Setting Behvior – I&E 71.69 

Socil Skills: 

Socil Acceptnce by Others – I&E 61.27 

Communiction Skills – I&E * 86.76 1 

Extroverted Behvior Ptterns –I&E 62.18 

Enterprising Spirit: 

Willingness to Compete – I&E 56.09 

Self-Confidence – I&E 68.24 

Socil Judgment: 

Admission of Shortcomings – I&E * 84.71 2 

Socil Awreness – I&E 68.38 

Lck of Socil Wriness – I&E 61.47 

Frustrtion Tolernce – I&E 81.13 4 

Conscientiousness: 

Lck of Asocil Attitudes –I&E 56.99 

Lck of Asocil Behviors – I&E 78.53 6 

Sfety Behviors: 

Attention to Sfety Issues – I&E 75.37 

Mngeril Ability – I&E 68.04 

Persusiveness/Sles Ability – I&E 52.94 

Cregiving Interest – I&E 57.11 

125 
Appendix E 

Table 5 


Weighted Percentages of Overall HJAQ Scores 


OCCUPATION ANALYZED: COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICE OFFICER 


ANALYZED BY: COMMUNITY MEMBERS & POLICE PERSONNEL (HJAQ = 291) 


126 

All HJAQ Scales Adjusted Scores Rankings 

Lerning Ability – I&E 56.74 

Work Ethic: 

Work Ptterns – I&E 77.63 5 

Persevernce – I&E 64.28 

Lck of Procrstintion – I&E 78.56 4 

Loylty to Orgniztion – I&E 73.45 

Gol Setting Behvior – I&E 71.13 

Socil Skills: 

Socil Acceptnce by Others – I&E 61.48 

Communiction Skills – I&E 82.82 2 

Extroverted Behvior Ptterns –I&E 57.14 

Enterprising Spirit: 

Willingness to Compete – I&E 56.58 

Self-Confidence – I&E 71.13 

Socil Judgment: 

Admission of Shortcomings – I&E 83.44 1 

Socil Awreness – I&E 69.48 

Lck of Socil Wriness – I&E 59.45 

Frustrtion Tolernce – I&E 78.84 3 

Conscientiousness: 

Lck of Asocil Attitudes –I&E 59.15 

Lck of Asocil Behviors – I&E 75.40 

Sfety Behviors: 

Attention to Sfety Issues – I&E 75.43 6 

Mngeril Ability – I&E 66.82 

Persusiveness/Sles Ability – I&E 49.62 

Cregiving Interest – I&E 58.76 
Appendix F 

Appendix F 

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office: 

Officer Recruitment and Selection 

A Plan for Community Inclusion (Part II of II). 

Prepared by Innovation Group, March 2004 

Introduction 

This is the second nd finl deliverble under the Hiring in the Spirit of Service project, regrding community 

inclusion in the officer selection process in the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. 

The gol of Hiring in the Spirit of Service is to llow HCSO to help “select in” pplicnts with trits tht 

predispose them to success s community oriented lw enforcement deputies. This document describes ten wys 

tht the citizens of Hillsborough County could ppropritely prticipte in the recruitment nd selection processes, 

in support of tht gol. These ten pproches to inclusion rnge from nominl to substntil, llowing for HCSO to 

choose one or more pproches tht fit the gency’s unique culture nd business needs. 

Reasons for Including the Community in Officer Selection Processes 

The bsis for community policing is tht lw enforcement nd community members work together to promote 

public sfety. Both prties hve vluble nd different perspectives on the jurisdiction nd its issues. Both prties 

lso hve different legl uthorities, resources, nd motivtions to ddress community issues. Seprtely, citizens 

or officers cn ddress problems, but together, the impct of their seprte efforts is ugmented by their mutul nd 

coordinted focus. For exmple,  homeowners’ ssocition cn tke steps to prevent loitering in  drug trfficking 

re, or the Sheriff’s office cn initite enforcement efforts, but if the two cn gree upon  strtegy in dvnce, the 

end product is likely to be more stisfctory to both the ssocition nd the Sheriff. According to the deprtment’s 

“Community Oriented Policing Summry, June 2003,” these kinds of prtnerships hve been encourged in 

Hillsborough County since t lest the 1980s, nd re pervsive tody, countywide. 

In mny lw enforcement gencies, this hs become the wy business is done, rther thn simply  progrm or 

grnt inititive. In fct, mny gencies hve bndoned the “community-bsed” nd “community-oriented” titles 

tht used to be prominent in community oriented inititives, nd just cll it “policing” gin. HCSO is one of 

these gencies. As ludble s this level of progress is, even gret successes do not eliminte the need to continue 

evolving. HCSO is considering the best wy to evolve to n even better prtnership with the community, by 

including the community in  key dministrtive process. 

Inviting the community to prticipte in the officer selection process, even in  smll wy, yields severl benefits 

for HCSO nd the citizens it serves. Among them: 

1.	 As described bove, it extends the police/community partnership to nother level. It llows 

citizens to not only prtner with the officers chosen for them, but to weigh in on which officers 

pper to be  good fit for tht prtnership in the first plce. 

2.	 This extension of the prtnership increases the community’s ownership of the gency. This is 

helthy for the community, which must expect ccountbility nd responsiveness from the Sheriff’s 

Office. It is lso positive for the Sheriff’s Office, which voids n unnecessry level of insulrity 

from the people it serves. 

127 
128 

Appendix F 

3.	 Moving wy from insulrity mens moving towards transparency 

—tody’s corporte culture must ccommodte  substntil shift in this 

direction. While there re mny lw enforcement mtters tht must be kept out 

of the public eye, there should be  perception tht the Sheriff’s methods nd 

criteri for choosing one person over nother for employment re not secret. 

This is lso good for the pplicnts, who re not lwys wre of how they were 

selected or not selected. 

4.	 It promotes more informed investment choices by the Sheriff. If  

deprtment is investing  lrge sum of money in something s vluble s n 

officer, the Sheriff wnts investment dvice from s mny credible sources s 

possible. Currently, the min dvice comes from within the deprtment, vi the 

Recruitment Section. Community inclusion mens t lest one other “investment 

dvisor,” nd directly from the gency’s customer bse. 

Once community inclusion efforts re successfully integrted into the officer selection process, it 

would become simply the wy business is done, rther thn  specil inititive tht is perceived to 

require extr effort nd time. Tht would be the true mesure of success for community inclusion 

efforts. 

How the Community Has Been Included in Other Jurisdictions 

Mny sources were consulted to determine wht hs been done lredy to include the community 

in officer selection processes (see Appendix A). There re no known books or book chpters 

published in this re, nd no known scholrly or mgzine rticles on the subject. A survey of 

severl experts in the field yielded similr results. Wht little ws found, pertined to: 

1.	 Community prticiption in dvertising committees or periodic focus 

groups 

2. Community prticiption in Chief selection pnels 

3. Selecting designted “community officers” from mong lredy-hired 

officers 

4. Using civilin commnd stff s  wy to enhnce community reltions. 

These four exmples represent interesting wys of mnging gency policies nd processes, but 

re tngentil to this prticulr project. This project is bout direct prticiption of citizens in 

determining who will be hired s officers. 

A forthcoming Police Executive Reserch Forum (PERF) publiction reports tht bout 20% 

of ll community policing gencies1 report using citizens in their officer selection processes. 

However, it is not cler how, exctly, citizens re used in those instnces. The lck of printed 

literture bout citizen inclusion in officer selection processes could suggest tht including 

citizens is so common (one of five gencies would still men bout 3,000 gencies, ntionwide) 

tht no one would think to write up ny cse studies. It is more likely tht other forms of citizen 

inclusion re considered more interesting nd relevnt to  brod udience. 

1. As defined in that 

study 

In comprison, 

over 90% of PERF study respondents reported tht citizens regulrly prticipte in community 
Appendix F 

meetings with police nd prticipte in neighborhood wtch progrms. In 2002, lmost 80% of respondents 

reported sponsoring citizen police cdemies, nd similr numbers reported using citizens s civilin volunteers 

within the deprtment. All of these topics hve received more ttention in the reserch literture, perhps in prt 

due to their pervsiveness. 

Although no printed literture ws found tht describes this prticulr kind of citizen involvement, contcts 

identified severl exmples of gencies tht systemticlly use community members in the officer selection 

process. Wht ws lerned from them informed some of the recommendtions mde in this document. 

Summries of their prctices re summrized in Figure 1. Exmples of gencies tht use volunteer groups 

to generlly dvise the chief lw enforcement officer on  vriety of mtters, including recruitment, re not 

included here. The Sheriff of Clrk County, NV, for exmple, hs Women’s, Hispnic nd Africn Americn 

Advisory Pnels tht meet regulrly. Becuse Hillsborough lso sponsors severl dvisory bords lredy, 

dditionl exmples of this form of citizen prticiption were noted, but not deeply explored. This study 

focuses on pplied exmples of citizens prticipting in recruitment nd selection. 

Figure 1. Community Inclusion Practices of Six Law 

Enforcement Agencies 

Durham (New Hampshire) Police. Chief Dve Kurz is responsible for hiring new officers for his deprtment of 

bout 20. He lso invites two prominent business leders, school bord members, or other well-regrded civilins 

to prticipte in the pplicnt’s orl bord. These citizens cn sk questions, just s the other bord members do. 

Afterwrds, the bord members shre overll impressions. Chief Kurz reports tht citizens nd officers both benefit 

from the interction with ech other, nd the citizens re usully impressed with the qulity of the cndidtes. 

Gallatin (Tennessee) Police. Former Chief Wlter Tngel used three to four clergy, members of the Chmber of 

Commerce, NAACP officils, or other community leders on pplicnt orl bords. His former deprtment hs  

complement of bout 50. Citizens nd officers like sked the pplicnt stndrdized questions, then completed  

comment sheet fterwrds tht informed the chief’s hiring decision fter ll pplicnts hd been interviewed. 

Ocean City (Maryland) Police. This deprtment hs 100 officers, but ech summer it swells to ccommodte 100 

more for the sesonl increse in bechgoers. This trnsltes to  lot of hiring – bout 30 new nd 70 returning 

sesonl officers ech yer. One officer, one supervisor, nd one grdute of the Citizen Police Acdemy interview 

pplicnts, nd provide  score for ech pplicnt. The verged interview score counts s hlf the pplicnt’s 

overll score, with the written exm score comprising the rest. Becuse this deprtment hd the most forml 

community inclusion of those detiled here,  more complete summry of the deprtment’s citizen inclusion 

prctices is in Appendix B. 

Sacramento (California) Police. Scrmento hs dded civilins to the orl bord tht interviews prospective 

officers. The bord is responsible for rting cndidtes in ech of six dimensions vi  structured interview, nd 

must individully provide scores within  certin rnge, reltive to the other scorers. Citizen prticipnts re selected 

from focus groups, the chief’s Advisory Committee, nd other sources, using “snowbll” smpling. Prticipnts go 

through mock interviews s prt of  trining process. There is  second interview, occurring lter in the process, 

tht is not scored, nd tht does not include  civilin. Citizens lso serve on promotions pnels for Cptins nd 

higher–rnked supervisors, nd will soon sit on SPD’s pnels for sergent nd lieutennt. This gency hs bout 700 

officers. 

129 
Appendix F 

Figure 1. Community Inclusion Practices (cont’d) 

130 

Sacramento County (Califormia) Sheriff. Citizen volunteers who hve some trining on the deprtment’s 

policies, nd who hve some knowledge of the lw enforcement function, ttend recruitment events with the 

deprtment’s recruitment deputies. Most likely to prticipte re Cdets (younger volunteers who my pursue 

lw enforcement creers) nd Volunteers in Prtnership with the Sheriff (VIPS), who hve completed  40-hour, 

deprtment-provided trining progrm, in one of three res of speciliztion. This gency employs bout 1,700 

officers. 

Orange County (California) Sheriff. This 1,700-deputy gency uses  citizen on its three-person orl bord for ll 

pplicnts; the other spots re filled by  deputy nd  sergent. The interview is highly structured, nd n verge 

of the three scores is tken. There is no requirement for the three scores to resemble ech other. The verge score 

determines whether the pplicnt is eligible to continue in the selection process. Citizen interviewers re briefly 

trined before conducting their first interview; they re selected by Humn Resources from the sheriff’s dvisory 

council, or from  list of former grnd jurors. Sgt. Tom Slyton reports tht while some citizen interviewers re 

better thn others, everyone hs been invited bck to interview gin. Citizens seem to pprecite the responsibility, 

nd officers vlue the different perspective they provide. He lso reports no pplicnt complints, nd the intent to 

continue this prctice, which is t lest 17 yers old for this deprtment. 

Discussion of the Current Officer Selection Process 

In order to propose wys for citizens to become stronger prticipnts in some future officer selection process, 

it ws first necessry to mp out the current process. This ws ccomplished by exmining some existing HR 

flowchrts, nd conducting interviews with key Recruiting officers. The current process mp is depicted in 

Figure 2. The current process is consistent in ppernce with mny U.S. lw enforcement selection processes. 

For qulified cndidtes, the entire process tkes from 31⁄2 months to 6 months, which is not unusul in the 

government sector, especilly for lw enforcement. Ech pplicnt who mkes it to Step 6 is pired with  

single bckground investigtor for the reminder of the process, which provides continuity tht benefits both the 

pplicnt (who is likely to wnt contct with the sme HCSO representtive for the durtion) nd the recruiting 

stff (who cn then put forth  more confident recommendtion during the finl steps of the process). The steps 

depicted on top relte to the pplicnt’s commitments during the process, while those on the bottom describe wht 

efforts HCSO mkes to move the pplicnt through those steps. An in-depth discussion of the process is deferred, 

in fvor of focusing on possible community inclusion spects. 

One of the notble things bout this hiring process flow is its lck of ny “select in” dt. The flowchrt 

ccurtely shows tht t ech step, n pplicnt is either eliminted, or not eliminted. There is no scoring, 

rnking, or ctegorizing tht occurs on  forml bsis to differentite mong those who find themselves in 

the stck of pplictions presented to the Sheriff t Step 10. This mens tht the Sheriff is simply brought 

for considertion every single pplicnt who does not get eliminted. This lck of quntittive or qulittive 

informtion ws, in fct, one of the min resons HCSO sked to prticipte in the Hiring in the Spirit of Service 

inititive. There is  desire to hve more relible informtion presented tht differentites between cndidtes tht 
Appendix F 

re promising, nd those tht simply pss ll the tests put before them.2 This is  chllenge 

tht most lw enforcement gencies in the country fce — wht is rre is finding n gency 

tht is willing to consider lterntive wys of mesuring pplicnts to ddress not only 

eligibility, but vlidted job competencies.3 

2. This does not 

obvite the need 

for the Sheriff to 

hve the ultimte 

decision in who gets 

hired; he lone is 

leglly responsible 

for the qulity of 

the hiring choices. 

This document ws 

developed with 

the intent to hve 

community inclusion 

promote better hiring 

decisions mde by the 

Sheriff, s opposed 

to somehow diluting 

the Sheriff’s decisionmking uthority. 

3. This prt of 

the study focuses 

less on wht the 

competencies re, nd 

more on how 

to involve the 

community in 

pplying them. Dr. 

Robin Inwld is 

completing the 

mjority of work 

on HCSO’s lw 

enforcement deputy 

competencies. 

Current Community Inclusion in the HCSO Officer Selection 

Process 

Members of the community currently help to decide which pplicnts re selected or not 

selected for deputy Sheriff positions, lbeit in very limited wys. 

1.	 Bckground investigtors contct the pplicnt’s neighbors nd personl 

references to help ssess the pplicnt’s bsic eligibility. Assuming tht 

these contcts live in unincorported Hillsborough County, one could mke 

the rgument tht “the community is consulted.” However, mny pplicnts 

nd their references live outside of the county, so tht techniclly the HCSO 

“community” is not lwys consulted. Even when the contcts re within 

the community, the community recommendtions re not lwys meritbsed, becuse the pplicnt provides the references himself. Finlly, the 

purpose of these community consulttions is only slightly relted to who to 

“select in,” nd much more intended to weed out cndidtes who lie on their 

pplictions or fil to disclose personl informtion during other prts of the 

recruitment process. For these resons, the community contcts mde during 

the bckground investigtions re too little, too lte to relly meet the stndrd 

of “community inclusion.” 

2.	 Another wy tht the community is currently involved in selection processes 

is the employer check. This is where the pplicnt lists recent employment, 

why she left, who her boss ws, nd so forth. Tht employer is then contcted 

to verify the informtion. This method of community inclusion fetures the 

sme drwbcks listed for the personl references nd residence check listed in 

the previous item. Most importntly, this is  weed-out step, more thn it is  

rting or rnking mesure. 

3.	 HCSO is developing  progrm tht would llow citizens to nominte 

pplicnts for pre-cdemy cceptnce for n officer job, through specific 

community groups. Successful nominees would receive scholrships to ttend 

the cdemy, nd stipends to support themselves during tht time. Becuse this 

is  prospective mesure, it is listed here only for reference purposes. 

4.	 Citizens frequently volunteer recommendtions for existing pplicnts, through 

phone clls nd letters to the Sheriff. From current prctice, this is the best 

exmple of community prticiption in the selection process. The citizen 

usully dvoctes for the cndidte, so these letters rrely serve to eliminte 

cndidtes s the first two exmples do. However, the drwbcks to this kind 

of citizen input re: 

131 
Appendix F 

132 

•	 the citizens who offer dvice do not know the other cndidtes, so the recommendtion is 

offered with no context for how well tht person would fre reltive to others 

•	 the citizens my or my not know wht kinds of skills re required to be  solid officer in tht 

jurisdiction 

•	 it is likely tht not ll pplicnts know tht spontneously-volunteered letters of 

recommendtion re beneficil to pplicnts (if, in fct, they re) presenting n issue of firness 

in using them in selection 

These current community inclusion ctivities, while common mong lw enforcement gencies, do not ccurtely 

reflect the Sheriff’s expressed commitment to community prtnerships. This document will describe dditionl 

wys to include the community in meningful spects of the officer selection process. 

Ten Ways that HCSO Could Include the Community More in the Officer 

Recruitment and Selection Processes 

So fr, this document hs described wht the current HCSO recruitment nd selection processes re, nd how other 

deprtments hve used the community to ssist in their own selection processes. After extensive considertion 

of the existing exmples, nd liberl consulttion with HCSO recruiting nd commnd stff, the following ten 

ides re set forth for considertion. They re listed in no prticulr order. Some of these re more ppeling thn 

others, nd for different resons. One my involve mjor orgniztionl chnge, for exmple, but yield the gretest 

long-term benefit to the gency. Another my be less dynmic, but less expensive or less difficult to implement. 

Ultimtely, these re possibilities tht were devised with HCSO’s unique culture nd business needs in mind. 

1.	 Citizens serve on one-time or recurring focus groups to determine what kinds of qualities are 

important in officers. 

Pros: This concept is well-documented in mny contexts, nd involves  very smll time 

commitment from both citizens nd HCSO, reltive to the other possibilities tht follow. It provides 

for citizen involvement in  fcilitted setting, with specific questions nd  report to the Sheriff 

nd/or the recruitment stff following ech session. It cn be repeted s frequently s desired, nd 

it provides extremely current, community–specific dt to the Sheriff nd/or recruitment stff. 

Cons: This is  reltively low-impct step to dd to the existing process. While citizens cn offer 

ides, nd the Sheriff mkes selections, the connection between the two is somewht undetermined. 

The gretest wekness of this kind of input is tht even if the Sheriff were to gree 100% with wht 

the citizens identified s the qulifictions they were seeking, the testing instruments to mesure 

those qulities re not lwys fully estblished in the field. 

To implement: HCSO would need to estblish citizen selection criteri,  meeting schedule,  

fcilittor,  meeting spce, nd n estblished set of questions to be discussed. There would lso 

need to be time llotted for  report to be completed ech time, nd  wy to trnsmit tht report to 

relevnt prties prior to recruitment nd/or selection. 

2.	 Citizens hand-deliver the Sheriff’s offers of employment to the selectees, either alone or in 

conjunction with CSOs/command staff. 

Pros: This is gret for community reltions nd press exposure nd dds  unique, personl 

touch to  very significnt nd long-wited event. It estblishes n wreness on the prt of 

the new officer, t  very erly stge, tht he or she hs been offered the job by the deprtment 
Appendix F 

nd the community. It lso provides  sense of empowerment to the citizen prticipnts, who re 

symboliclly empowered to ct on behlf of the county’s chief lw enforcement officer. It is low 

cost, with no need to chnge other, existing processes. 

Cons: This could be n unwnted gesture from the pplicnt’s perspective, especilly if he or she 

intends to turn down the offer, or if the cndidte eventully fils the polygrph or psychologicl 

test, which re dministered following the offer. It requires time commitment from HCSO nd 

citizen, s well s some coordintion, nd does not involve the citizens directly in deciding whom 

to select, even though it does involve the citizen in the process in n importnt wy. 

To implement: The Sheriff would need to decide how citizens could be selected for this duty. 

Someone in HCSO would be responsible for ppointing specific citizens to deliver offers to 

specific cndidtes, bringing the letter to the citizen, nd offering  script nd guidelines for tht 

citizen. Someone (citizen or HCSO contct) would need to coordinte the delivery time nd plce, 

nd ensure delivery in  timely fshion. 

3.	 Have citizens and applicants interview each other, informally, outside of a formal setting. 

Pros: Citizens could spek with pplicnts bout expecttions for effective lw enforcement in the 

county, in  very personl wy. The sme citizens could lern bout wht kind of pplicnts HCSO 

ttrcts. Applicnts could meet severl citizens, nd citizens could meet multiple pplicnts. Could 

be forml, like  series of timed interctions, or informl, like  reception. Something like this hs 

been tested, but t the post-hire stge, in t lest one HCSO District, s  result of this study. The 

Chmber of Commerce meets with recruits during the FTO period, nd the District Commnder 

reports very positive feedbck from recruits, their FTOs nd the Chmber members. 

Cons: If used during the lredy long ppliction process, this would be yet nother step. It would 

likely involve  substntil mount of n pplicnt’s weekend or evening time, which would be 

devoted to meeting nd greeting  series of strngers. It could dversely impct more introverted 

pplicnts. It is uncler which citizens would volunteer to prticipte, nd how much trining 

(if ny) nd supervision would need to be provided to ensure pproprite interction. If this is 

considered prt of selection, interctions would need to dhere to stndrd interviewing protocols 

for legl resons, which minimizes ny “informl” sttus to this step. If this is not considered prt 

of selection, it will not be perceived s importnt by most HCSO stff nd pplicnts, nd thus be 

poorly ttended, even though the humnizing benefits described bove would, theoreticlly, still 

be gined by both prties. Logistics for coordinting dozens of pplicnts nd mny more citizens 

would be chllenging. 

To implement: HCSO would need to estblish whether this would be forml/required or informl/ 

voluntry. It would need to find  series of times tht ll pplicnts would be ble to choose from 

to ttend. It would need to find  pool of citizens from which to drw prticipnts, nd schedule 

them for ll sessions. Citizens would need to be trined if this would be prt of selection. A plce 

(or severl plces) would need to be reserved, nd refreshments purchsed nd provided. Some 

kind of citizen nd pplicnt reflection ssignment could be used, or not (“Wht did you lern 

bout the citizens of Hillsborough?” “Wht did you lern bout the pplicnts you met tonight?”); 

it could become prt of the pplicnt’s pckge if it were  prt of selection. 

4.	 Have applicants attend a session of the Citizen Police Academy program, to meet with 

citizens. 

Pros: Like the previous suggestion, this llows pplicnts nd citizens to interct. As prt of 

the CPA experience, citizens would lern yet nother spect of the deprtment; s prt of the 

133 
134 

Appendix F 

ppliction process, the pplicnts hve  sole opportunity to interct with potentil “customers.” 

The CPA dtes re fixed some time in dvnce, so it is esier for HCSO nd pplicnts to pln 

hed to ttend. Applicnts nd students could simply introduce themselves to ech other, voiding 

ny EEO complictions but still llowing there to be some exchnge of informtion, followed by 

seprte debriefings. Applicnts could subsequently meet with  recruiter or other officer to lern 

bout how community expecttions fit into the dy-to-dy work; students could meet with the 

instructor to tlk bout the chllenges of recruiting, nd how the process is very long nd very 

stringent, etc. Other thn  check-off in the process, this would require no preprtion on the prt 

of the pplicnts or the students. 

Cons: This would require dding nother CPA session to the existing curriculum, or modifying n 

existing session to ccommodte the meeting. The potentil benefits would rest with the pplicnts 

nd citizens, but no dditionl informtion would be provided to the Sheriff for decision mking. 

This is n dditionl time commitment from pplicnts who lredy prticipte in  very lengthy 

nd involved process. The quntity of pplicnts nd students, in one plce t the sme time, is 

chllenging logisticlly, in ddition to the prospect of holding up someone’s ppliction for mny 

months just becuse he or she ws unble to ttend  specific CPA session. 

To implement: HCSO would need to ppend its existing recruitment literture nd regultions to 

reflect n dditionl requirement, nd the recruitment officers would need to coordinte ttendnce 

nd documenttion of it. Fcilittors for both the citizens nd pplicnts would need to be 

rrnged. 

5. Citizens volunteer to help recruit at police academies, whenever recruitment officers do so. 

Pros: This is  very erly stge t which citizens cn prticipte in who gets to be n HCSO 

deputy, but it flls outside of the ctul selection process. The benefits re to HCSO, pplicnts 

nd the citizens: HCSO cn supplement scrce recruiting stff with volunteers in n innovtive 

wy; pplicnts see the deprtment s  true prtnership between officers nd citizens; citizens cn 

dvocte informlly for the kinds of pplicnts they wnt serving their communities, nd cn tlk 

with pplicnts bout things like housing, cost of living, nd schools, so tht recruitment officers 

cn focus on personnel-relted questions like slry, benefits, nd work schedules. Involves no 

dditionl time commitment for pplicnts, nd my sve time for HCSO stff. Citizens would be 

expected to spek strictly from the vntge point of citizens, so no dditionl trining would be 

required. The Scrmento County (Cliforni) Sheriff’s Office uses citizens in  fshion similr to 

this. 

Cons: This my involve dditionl expense for trvel, nd full dy time commitments (or more) 

from citizens. Recruitment officers my feel thretened, t lest t first. Does not involve ny 

ctul prticiption in selection — ll pplicnts recruited by citizens could be summrily 

eliminted without ny dditionl citizen input. Without cler guidnce, both citizens nd officers 

could become frustrted with expecttions nd duties. 

To implement: Explore issues of libility on trvel, nd explore citizen interest in prticipting. 

Estblish criteri for prticipting, if ny. Explore costs for sponsoring citizens during recruitment 

dys. Develop feedbck methods to determine return on investment (Does this sve officers 

time? Do citizens enjoy it? How mny of your new hires remember meeting with  citizen t the 

cdemy? Did it mke  difference?) 
Appendix F 

6.	 Applicant is assigned to call a Citizen Police Academy graduate at home or work, to complete 

a brief interview, in order to continue in the selection process. 

Pros: Smll time commitment from both pplicnts nd citizens. Additionl HCSO time 

commitment is negligible. Very personl, one-on-one interction between the prties. Similr 

benefits to #3 nd #4 bove, without logisticl chllenges nd public speking requirements. 

Cons: Benefits pplicnts, but does not inform the Sheriff in his selection decisions. Citizens do 

not hve input into selection —  one-person interview pnel is too tiny to provide resonbly fir 

feedbck to the Sheriff on the qulifictions of the pplicnt. 

To implement: HCSO would need to ppend its existing recruitment literture nd regultions to 

reflect n dditionl requirement, nd the recruitment officers would need to coordinte completion 

of the interview. Citizens would need to be identified, one per pplicnt, nd the pplicnt nd 

citizen would need to somehow be introduced in order to set up  phone interview. 

7.	 Citizens (who have been served by a recruit) provide feedback to FTOs, post-hire, during the 

FTO period. 

Pros: Substntive feedbck to HCSO, during  time when feedbck is lredy being sought nd 

considered from other sources. The Sheriff still mkes selections bsed on the existing informtion, 

but the citizens impct the gency’s retention decisions. Additionl dministrtive burdens re 

voided for the recruitment stff. Feedbck is provided by rel customers of the recruit, bsed on 

experiences in  purely professionl context. Citizens feel vlued for their opinions nd feel there 

is true ccountbility for recruit performnce nd conduct. Recruits lern tht they re ccountble 

to superiors nd citizens. Supervisor/FTO mkes  more informed decision. 

Cons: Shifts dditionl dministrtive burdens to the FTO nd/or supervisor. Some dditionl 

pperwork. Reltively unorthodox compred to other deprtments’ known prctices, but very 

consistent with gency culture. 

To implement: Some dministrtive forms for collecting citizen feedbck, nd some trining 

for FTOs or supervisors on how to select citizens for interviewing, nd how to incorporte their 

feedbck into the retention decision. HCSO hs lredy used this method of citizen input, s  

result of this study, with very positive results. The initil feedbck form developed is included here 

s Appendix C. 

8.	 Add an Oral Board step to the selection process, and encourage citizen participation on the 

Board. 

Pros: The orl bord is the most common, documented, plce for gencies to include citizens in 

the selection process (see summry of reserch in n erlier section). HCSO does not currently use 

n orl bord, though it hs in the pst. The orl bord would provide n pproprite forum for 

citizens to prticipte in selecting cndidtes who met ll eligibility criteri. There is some, limited 

precedent for successfully including citizens t this stge. 

Cons: HCSO eliminted this step becuse it ws not consistent with gency culture nd/or business 

needs. Also, mong orgniztionl psychologists, interviews re consistently viewed s very 

unrelible predictors of success on the job, regrdless of who conducts them. Serious considertion 

must be ccorded to ny decision to re-implement, to ensure tht it is cost-effective, worth the 

dditionl dely in hiring, nd vluble in informing the Sheriff’s selection decision in some wy. 

This would involve  lrge time commitment from HCSO nd pplicnts, nd lso involve cost 

nd time to develop vlid interview instruments, trining for citizens nd officers, nd pproprite 

135 
136 

Appendix F 

loctions nd times for these events. Time commitments for HCSO, pplicnts, nd 

citizens could be significnt. 

To implement: Revise selection protocols to include n interview step. Trin 

officers nd commnd stff on pproprite interview questions. Devise nd pprove 

questions. Develop feedbck forms nd rting/rnking criteri. Decide cndidte 

minimum cutoff score, if ny. 

9.	 Citizens nominate applicants, pre-academy, for consideration. 

Pros: Under current procedures, HCSO only ccepts pplictions from those who 

re lredy certified lw enforcement officers, which limits the pool of potentil 

pplicnts substntilly. Although mny Florid deprtments shre in this prctice, it 

does little to ensure the selection of the best possible cndidtes — it simply llows 

for selection from mong existing officers from the cdemy or other gencies. An 

investment bnker or  dishwsher who wnted to pply would not be eligible, no 

mtter how well-suited to the job, nd no mtter how devoted to the community. 

A pre–cdemy nomintion for the job would ddress this; HCSO would ccept 

someone for employment, sponsor them through n cdemy — including living 

expenses — nd hve  hnd–picked employee upon grdution. It llows for 

citizens to ply n importnt role in nominting potentil officers, pplicnts to py 

for the cdemy nd living expenses, nd the deprtment to ssert more control 

over whom it chooses to hire. Less welthy pplicnts would find this option more 

ttrctive, becuse they invest less time nd money up front to chieve the sme 

objective. 

Cons: Widespred use of this prctice, in ddition to the existing prctice of strictly 

post-cdemy hire, would dd n dministrtive burden to the recruiting stff, 

which would hve to trck more cndidtes, nd then through two seprte but 

prllel processes. Although  reltive brgin for the vlue dded (the estimtes run 

bout $7,000 per cndidte chosen), cumultively the costs would comprise quite  

lrge mount. For twenty new hires the cost would be $140,000 more thn for the 

sme number hired post-cdemy. This cost would hve to be weighed ginst the 

nticipted benefits.4 There could be perceptions of nepotism or unfir tretment, 

depending on how the new process ws hndled nd who ws ccepted or pssed 

over. The Sheriff my feel undue pressure to choose  nominee over  self-sponsored 

cdemy grdute, ll other qulifictions being equl. 

To implement: This is n option tht the deprtment hs lredy implemented, in 

connection with nother grnt progrm. An expnsion of tht progrm would be 

required. 

4. An extended 

discussion of the 

relative benefits of 

the less expensive, 

pssive recruiting 

pproch, versus the 

more expensive nd 

proctive pproch, 

nd their reltive 

dollr costs, is  

whole different study. 

10.	 Retool the existing process to be score-oriented, using rating, ranking, or both, 

to assist in “selecting in” candidates. 

Pros: This option is bout repositioning the Sheriff to mke  more informed 

decision. In order to involve the community, it would hve to be effected in 

conjunction with nother of the other nine suggestions bove. The resoning is s 

follows: t ll stges of the selection process, ll cndidtes (on pper) mintin 

one of two sttuses: eligible or ineligible. With the ssumption tht citizen input 
Appendix F 

should not directly ccept  cndidte for employment, nor disqulify  cndidte outright, 

such input must plce  cndidte high or low reltive to other cndidtes, in order to 

be meningful. Under current prctices, it cnnot, becuse there re no mechnisms to 

quntittively or qulittively indicte tht n pplicnt is of either high or low cliber, in 

shorthnd form. While the recruitment stff cn mke verbl recommendtions upon request, 

they re only bsed on how well cndidtes performed on the eligibility screens, nd much 

less on how well cndidtes interct with the community, complete technicl writing tsks, or 

exercise professionl judgement. While  completely numbers-bsed system is unnecessrily 

bureucrtic, the completely numberless system it now uses hs its own shortcomings. Using 

rting, rnking, or both for t lest some steps of the selection process would llow for more 

meningful community input, s well s more relevnt presenttion of ppliction files to 

the Sheriff t selection time. Cons: This is  mjor orgniztionl chnge. Not only would it 

chnge the wy tht cndidtes re viewed t selection time, it puts n dditionl burden on 

the Sheriff if the decision is mde to select someone with lower scores or rnk thn nother 

who is not selected. This does not men it is ill-dvised, just dditionl effort to document 

the resons for the decision. Current personnel systems tht use scores nd rnks lmost 

exclusively re considered vstly inferior to the one HCSO currently uses, so heding too fr 

in tht direction is not prudent. The ide would be to dd some elements of forml rting nd 

rnking to the existing process. 

To implement: HCSO is exploring the possibility of implementing  rting/rnking of 

sorts, through nother prt of this grnt, using the Inwld Personlity Inventory (IPI). Pre– 

employment test scores would be used to predict success s  CRD. Becuse it is lredy 

underwy, this is the most likely wy to begin using rting/rnking s prt of the selection 

process. 

A Word About Selection of “Citizens” and “Community Members” 

After much consideration, we recommend graduates of the Citizen Police Academy (CPA) as 

the default pool of citizens for use in any of these new aspects of selection. Although HCSO 

does maintain close ties with several ethnic and racial groups through appointed advisory 

boards, as well as with the business and worship communities, the CPA is the one program 

for which all members of those groups are eligible, and citizens from all parts of the county, 

and all ages, can participate. It includes people who worship and those who do not, business 

owners and non-business owners. It also ensures that participants share a common eligibility 

criterion, and understand some of the basics of law enforcement in Hillsborough County. The 

CPA graduates people who are very supportive of law enforcement, and some who are not, 

providing balanced community input. Finally, the program is so popular that there is a steady 

stream of new faces that can replace past volunteers on a regular basis. 

137 
138 

Appendix F 

Resources Consulted During This Endeavor 

Before proposing wys tht HCSO could improve its hiring process by including members of the community, 

it ws importnt to seek out gencies tht hve lredy tried to do so. In this wy, HCSO cn lern from others’ 

successes nd chllenges, voiding foreseeble mistkes nd dopting best prctices. Little, if nything, hs been 

written bout including the community in the officer selection process. Finding ctul people who could tlk bout 

this kind of community inclusion ws chllenging, s well. Nevertheless, the lck of informtion vilble ws  

cler messge tht community inclusion of this kind is not widely used, conveying ll the benefits nd chllenges 

of proposing entirely “new” ides. 

Library Resources Consulted 

University of MD Librry Ctlog Criminl Justice Abstrcts 

Criminl Justice Periodicls Ntionl Criminl Justice 

Reference Service 

Lexis-Nexis Acdemic Universe Sociologicl Abstrcts 

EBSCO Acdemic Serch Premier Socil Science Abstrcts 

Socil Sciences Cittion Index Behvior Sciences nd the Lw 

Crime nd Delinquency Criminl Justice nd Behvior 

The Howrd Journl of Criminl 

Justice 

Interntionl Socil Science 

Journl 

Journl of Criminl Justice Journl of Reserch in Crime nd 

Delinquency 

Policing: An Interntionl Journl 

.... 

Socil Science & Medicine 

The Socil Science Journl Socil Science Reserch 

Theoreticl Criminology 
Appendix F 

Professional Resources Consulted 

Gry Cordner, Ph.D. 

Kentucky Regionl Community 

Policing Institute 

Philip Lyons, J.D., Ph.D. 

Texs Regionl Community 

Policing Institute 

Ed Brodt 

Kentucky Regionl Community 

Policing Institute 

Rob Chpmn 

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services (COPS) 

Steve Edwrds, Ph.D. 

Ntionl Institute of Justice (NIJ) 

Rn Smson, President 

Community Policing Assocites 

Kren Amendol, Ph.D. 

Police Foundtion 

Ed Brjs 

Police Foundtion 

Jessie Lee 

Nt. Org. of Blck Lw 

Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) 

Lt. Greg Guiton nd Pfc. Doug 

Collier 

Ocen City (MD) Police 

Chief Dve Kurz 

Durhm (NH) Police 

Chief Wlter Tngel (ret.) 

Glltin (TN) Police 

Kim Kohlhepp 

Interntionl Assoc. of Chiefs of 

Police (IACP) 

Lorie Fridell, Ph.D. 

Police Executive Reserch Forum 

Smnth Brinkley, HR Director 

Scrmento (CA) Police 

Peter Cuthbert 

Cndin Assocition of Chiefs of Police 

Det. Steve Brock 

Sn Berndino County (CA) Sheriff 

Officer Martin Wright 

Ls Vegs (NV) Metropolitn 

Police 

Sgt. Adm Ferrri 

Jefferson Prrish (LA) Sheriff 

Dep. Stcie Hill 

Scrmento County (CA) Sheriff 

Mr. George Wlton, 

Anlyst/Recruiter 

Bexr County (TX) Sheriff 

Deputy Tiffny Kuehn 

Hrris County (TX) Sheriff 

Sgt. Tom Slyton 

Ornge County (CA) Sheriff 

139 
140 

Appendix F 

Case Study of the Ocean City (MD) Police Hiring Process 

Focusing on Community Inclusion Practices 

Mngement consultnts Dvid Bchrch nd Tr Crpenter conducted  site visit to the Ocen City Police 

Deprtment on December 10, 2002. The purpose ws to document the nture nd extent of community prticiption 

in selecting new police officers. Lt. Greg Guiton nd Pfc. Doug Collier hosted the hlf-dy visit. Here re the mjor 

spects of the gency’s hiring prctice, nd how citizens re involved. 

•	 Citizens participate most directly in the applicant interview. Citizens very much enjoy prticipting. 

They re given equl voice on  pnel of three: one non-sworn citizen, one supervisory officer, nd one 

rod officer. Interview is scored, nd it is integrl to the process tht the sme questions re sked of 

every pplicnt. An interview sheet with the sme questions is distributed to ll interview prticipnts. 

After ech interviewer issues  rting, the verge of the three scores is tken. 

•	 Have to attend Citizens Police Academy. In order to prticipte in officer selection, citizens need 

knowledge bout lw enforcement, nd its context within the community. Therefore, they re required 

to grdute from the city’s Citizens’ Police Acdemy, which meets one night  week, for 10 weeks. The 

CPA is offered twice  yer, t 25 students per clss. It meets Februry through April, nd September 

through November. Citizens re provided with bckground informtion bout specil units, trffic 

enforcement, firerms, rrest procedures, nd other topics considered to be interesting for non-officers. 

Prticipnts re volunteers. During the lesson on recruiting nd selection, prticipnts re told tht there 

is n opportunity for them to volunteer s citizen interviewers fter grduting from the cdemy. 

•	 No serious legal hurdles fced before, during, following implementtion. This spect of the hiring 

process ws ccepted s  mtter of course,  norml business process djustment. No known ppels 

of decisions, bsed on interview pnel composition. 

•	 Officers apprehensive of process at first, but no longer. Citizens very satisfied. This innovtion 

llows for dditionl police-citizen interction, during n importnt dministrtive process. It provides 

trnsprency for citizens,  new perspective for officers, nd  messge to pplicnts tht they re 

ultimtely ccountble to both superior officers nd city residents. 

•	 Since 1996 the process hs been in plce. For the better prt of  decde, citizen prticiption hs 

worked nd hs become  nturl prt of doing business. 

•	 Get the department behind you first. OCPD did not work on buy-in, nd hd some troubles getting 

credibility for this spect of the process t first. 

•	 Get both groups (officers nd citizens) together for 1⁄2 day before the interviews are conducted. 

OCPD didn’t do tht, nd it mde the interviews less enjoyble, less professionl. 

•	 Citizen and officer training needs taper off. After severl yers, no dditionl trining is required 

– the process kind of perpetutes itself. EEO/diversity trining is less importnt becuse the interview 

questions re stndrdized. No follow-up questions. 

•	 OCPD counsels citizens if they do not seem to fit in with the process. Do not hesitte to move them 

to other volunteer opportunities if interviewing is not their “thing.” OCPD hs hd to sk people not to 

return, on occsion. 
•	 OCPD tries to overstaff, choosing 8-10 citizens per day. OCPD sends out the 

four possible interview dtes to the CPA grdutes. Ech dy hs six pnels, nd 

citizens cn serve ll dy, or prt of  dy. One citizen per pnel. Overstffing 

llows for substitutions nd no-shows. 

•	 OCPD sponsors a barbecue for volunteers who prticipte in the interviewing. 

This sets  positive tone, nd encourges repet prticiption. Coffee nd ornge 

juice in the morning, nd tht’s when logistics re worked out for the dy. 

•	 CPA has a broad range of participants, chiefly from locl businesses nd 

retirement popultion. 

•	 450 eligible interviewers 18 citizen cdemies hve been run (x25 people) 

•	 Range of scoring – Although individul members of the pnel cn give 

different scores within  rnge ( rnge is low, medium or high), everyone on 

pnel needs to score within the sme rnge. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF OCPD’S RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS, 

IN GENERAL 

•	 Selection criteri re not complex. The interview comprises hlf the pplicnt’s 

score, nd the written test mkes up the other 50%. All other procedures re 

pss/fil, such s the bckground check nd physicl gility exercise. 

•	 Applicnt prticiption in testing is mostly compressed into two days. On 

Sturdy (dy 1), everyone who shows up for the testing brings  completed 

ppliction nd  driver’s license.5 The test is scored right wy, nd 

prticipnts who do not pss re informed right wy. The next step is physicl 

gility: n obstcle course. Agin, those who do not pss re excused on the 

spot. Agility test is usully completed by 13:00. Those who pss both tests re 

scheduled for the next dy’s ctivities. This is considered the esier of the two 

dys for police personnel to dminister. Non-sworn citizens do not prticipte in 

dy one selection ctivities. 

On Sundy (dy 2)6

, pplicnts prticipte in  video test tht involves memory, 

nlyticl thinking, nd ttention to detil, using three self-creted scenrios. 

Videos re viewed twice, nd pplicnts re encourged to tke notes. This 

video test is linked to the subsequent interview, where the pplicnt is quizzed 

on wht he or she remembers bout the scenrios, nd is sked situtionllybsed questions bout the scenrios. Applicnt’s notes re not used. The 

interview involves other, more typicl job-relted items s well. Interviews re 

scheduled erliest for those tht hve the gretest driving distnces following 

the testing. This is considered the hrder of the two dys for police personnel to 

dminister. 

Two-dy compression is generlly convenient for pplicnts, nd generlly 

rduous for police deprtment personnel. It is believed to be the best possible 

option for meeting this deprtment’s hiring needs. 

5. The old method 

ws for the person to 

submit n ppliction, 

then be informed of 

the ssigned testing 

dte. Under tht 

method, less thn hlf 

of the pplicnts 

showed for testing, 

nd no initil 

screening ws 

performed on the 

pplictions, 

nywy. Rescheduling 

ws not prcticl. 

The process ws 

reengineered to 

be more efficient 

nd effective. Now 

pplicnts just show 

up on the weekend of 

their choosing, with 

their driver’s license 

nd ppliction. 

6. Tx forms re 

completed on dy 2. 

Appendix F 

141 
Appendix F 

142 

•	 Prctice is uniform. OCPD hires both sesonl nd full-time (yer-round) officers. Sme testing 

process is used for sesonl nd full-time stff. When someone comes to test, they specify tht they 

wnt considertion s sesonl, full-time, or both. Need to retest ech yer to be n eligible pplicnt. 

Written test is off the shelf. Civilin pplicnts hve  seprte process. 

•	 Selection occurs in two stges. (1) About ten dys fter the testing weekend, the prticipnts who 

qulify receive initil (contingent) offers of employment. (2) The finl (binding) offers re extended 

fter bckground checks re completed on those who ccept the initil offers. In generl, deprtment 

does not wit for ll testing to be completed before extending initil offers. 

•	 99% of full-time hires re from n experienced sesonl officer pool. Some civilin cdets re hired 

s well. It is rre to hire people outside of the sesonl progrm, unless it is  lterl from nother PD. 

Some lterls were sesonl in OC t some point. Use of sesonl officers cuts down on trining costs. 

•	 Scores re entered in  spredsheet continuously, with  testing cut-off. A high enough scorer is 

conditionlly hired for  mximum of ten dys until bckground checks re completed. Recruits re 

hired to fill slots, nd when they re filled, there re no more hires. Therefore, erlier testers get n 

dvntge. If the first picks decline, dditionl testing my be done. A high-scoring sesonl my be 

evluted for full-time. Time to complete bckground checks vries bsed on worklod. OC expects 

 lrge turnover in the next few yers nd my hve to look to other options for bckground checks. 

Checks for sesonl nd full-time re similr –  copy of driving record long with  questionnire 

including rrests nd trffic cittions. Full-time hires lso hve bckground investigtors sent to where 

they live. 

•	 Recruit is done t universities, in nd out of clssrooms. Focus is currently on prts of Pennsylvni 

nd Ohio. There hs not been much success in Delwre, Mrylnd, or New Jersey. We hve not 

explored Virgini. OC strted fll recruiting to llow for greter led time in prepring for pplicnt’s 

big job decision. OC proctors exms to ccommodte trining schedule, if needed. There is little 

success t job firs, even those focused on lw enforcement. 

•	 Exmple of 2003’s four testing dtes: 

o Februry 8th nd 9th, 2003 

o Mrch 1st nd 2nd, 2003 

o Mrch 22nd nd 23rd, 2003 

o April 5th nd 6th, 2003 

o Trining is conducted April-June 

•	 OCPD CID (5 detectives nd  sergent) conducts ll bckground checks on pplicnts. They consist of 

 20-pge questionnire, certified copy of driving record, nd phone-bsed bckground interviews. 

•	 30-35 sesonl officers return ech yer – more when the economy is bd. 70-75 re new – including 

mny college students. 900 pplictions for sesonl, 300 test. Vrible testing dtes will likely get 

more people to test. Job firs hven’t been very fruitful for sesonls. OC hs strted coming to 

universities nd speking to criminl justice clsses. We offer internships nd finl exm proctoring to 

get students erly, nd hve lso strted sesonl recruiting in the fll to give people from fr wy the 

led time to tke job. Western, North, nd Centrl Pennsylvni my hve 300 pplictions more this 

yer. OC gets more people from Pennsylvni then Mrylnd nd Delwre nd doesn’t recruit in New 

Jersey. 

•	 80-90 pplicnts interviewed ech yer, one hour ech mx. 
Appendix F 

OCPD APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS FLOW
 

Applies to Both Seasonal and Full–Time Police Officer Applicants 

Dy 1 

Appliction nd 

Written Test 

Physicl Agility 

Test 

143 

Dy 2 

Video Test nd 

Orl Bord 

Conditionl Offer 

Bckground 

Check 

Finl Offer 

Acdemy Trining 

(If Not Certified) 

FTO Period / 

Rod Ptrol 
144 

Appendix F 

Sample Citizen Feedback Form 

This form could be used by citizens who were served by  recruit during the FTO period. An FTO or 

supervisor could provide upon the conclusion of  cll, or could return some time fter the cll. It is 

short enough to llow for on-the-spot completion. The FTO/supervisor could use this feedbck s prt of 

the decision-making process: does the recruit continue in field training, proceed to full deputy status, or 

end his/her employment s  deputy? In this wy the community hs input, while HCSO still mintins 

complete decision-mking uthority in the mtter. 
Appendix F 

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
 

CITIZEN FEEDBACK ON RECRUIT PERFORMANCE 

RECRUIT NAME: _____________________________ PHASE: I II III IV 

FTO NAME: __________________________________ DATE: ______________ 

The Sheriff depends on the citizens of Hillsborough County to provide feedback on how well 

patrol deputies respond to community needs. You have been served recently by a field training 

officer and a recruit – a fully-certified law enforcement officer who is still learning about the 

specific expectations of Hillsborough County residents and business owners. This is your 

opportunity to convey your own feelings on behalf of the community. Please consider taking a 

moment to think about why you called for assistance, and how well your needs were met, under 

the circumstances. Your responses will be used for purposes of helping the recruit improve the 

way he or she conducts business or renders services in the future. 

OVERALL, DID THE RECRUIT UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM OR SITUATION? 

(Circle One) YES NO 

OVERALL, DID THE RECRUIT RESPOND IN AN EFFECTIVE FASHION? 

(Circle One) YES NO 

OVERALL, HOW FAIR WAS THE RECRUIT IN DEALING WITH THE SITUATION? 

(Circle One) Very Fir Somewht Fir Not Fir 

DID THE RECRUIT APPEAR TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE? 

(Circle One) YES NO 

IF YOU NEEDED TO CALL THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE ABOUT ANOTHER MATTER, WOULD 

YOU WANT THIS DEPUTY TO RESPOND TO HANDLE THE SITUATION? 

(Circle One) YES NO 

145 

PLEASE TURN THE SHEET OVER TO COMPLETE THIS EVALUATION
 
146 

Appendix F 

Please include any other feedback you would like to share about the way your situation was handled. 

This can include praise for work performed well, or aspects of your interaction that you didn’t like. 

This is only used to help the recruit. 

Citizen Nme (optionl) : 

Event #: Survey Conducted By: 
Appendix G 

Appendix G 

Proposed Recruiting Ambassadors Program 

Detroit Police Department 

E. Lynise Bryant-Weekes, Director of Personnel Detroit Police Department 

Inspector Morris Wells, Commanding Officer, Personnel/Recruiting Section 

OVERVIEW: 

The Detroit Police Deprtment’s “Recruiting Ambssdor” progrm ws initilly instituted to rewrd internl 

recruitment efforts. The concept ws to rewrd Deprtment members for their efforts in ssisting in recruiting by 

recommending individuls who possess the qulities necessry to become  Detroit Police Officer. A member 

recommending n pplicnt who successfully completes the hiring process is therefter rewrded for his/her efforts. 

Under the Hiring in the Spirit of Service inititive, the Deprtment hs expnded the scope of the Ambssdors 

Progrm to include prticiption from the community. This expnded progrm reflects community involvement 

in the initil stges of the selection process of the Detroit Police Deprtment. The expnded inititive involves 

community groups nd fith-bsed orgniztions tht will recommend individuls for service s  Detroit Police 

Officer. 

Implementation 

It is the desire of the Detroit Police Deprtment to engge the Community in our hiring nd recruiting efforts. 

Recognizing the need for nd vlue of citizen input in the hiring process, the Deprtment currently utilizes 

citizens in the pplicnt orl bord process. To further utilize nd involve citizens in selection of police officers, 

the Deprtment is soliciting the ssistnce of the community in its recruiting efforts by expnding the internl 

Recruiting Ambssdor Progrm, which encourges deprtment members to ssist in recruitment efforts. 

To introduce the Recruiting Ambssdor Concept, the Detroit Police Deprtment will host  meeting in October 

2003, with Community Groups nd Fith Bsed Orgniztions, to roll out the Recruiting Ambssdor progrm. 

These groups will be provided the Deprtment’s bsic criteri for hiring nd selection nd given n overview of the 

hiring process. The Detroit Police Deprtment will encourge the orgniztions to ply  mjor role in ssisting 

with the Deprtment’s recruiting efforts by chllenging their members to recommend individuls who they believe 

fit the criteri necessry to serve s Police Officers. 

Members of the Detroit Police Deprtment, including executives, will ddress Fith Bsed nd Community Groups, 

on  weekly bsis, to discuss the benefits nd opportunities of being  Detroit Police Officer nd to encourge 

prticiption in our Recruiting Ambssdor Progrm. In ddition to the bove, the Recruiting Unit will gin roll 

out the internl Recruiting Ambssdor progrm encourging Deprtment members of ll rnks to prticipte 

nd recommend individuls for police service. 

Orgniztions will register with the Deprtment by completing  Recruiting Ambssdor ppliction form 

indicting their interest in ssisting the Deprtment with its recruiting efforts. The orgniztion will then be 

provided with referrl crds to be given to potentil pplicnts tht identify the prticulr orgniztion s the 

referring entity. This referrl crd will be mintined with the ppliction nd upon the pplicnt’s entry into the 

Acdemy will be plced in the entities Recruiting Ambssdor file. 

147 
148 

Appendix G 

At the end of the Recruiting cycle, the Deprtment will recognize nd rewrd deprtment members, orgniztions, 

nd community groups tht provide the most pplicnts, who successfully enter the Detroit Metropolitn Police 

Acdemy, in  specified time period. At the conclusion of ech specified time period the Deprtment will host  

recognition ceremony to rewrd the group nd Deprtment member whose efforts hve brought the gretest number 

of Student Police Officers to the Acdemy. 

Time-line 

October 2003 – Progrm Roll-out
 

November 2003 – Mrch 2004 Community Presenttions by DPD Executives.
 

April 2004 – Completion of first cycle nd recognition ceremony
 
Appendix H 

Appendix H 

Hiring in the Spirit of Service 

Focus Group Report 

Detroit Police Department 

Executive Summary 

Moore & Assocites, Inc. ws contrcted by Berg Muirhed & Assocites, Inc. to conduct  focus group study on 

behlf of the Detroit Police Deprtment (DPD). The purpose of the reserch ws the gther bseline informtion in 

support of  mrketing nd outrech effort to increse the number of minority pplicnts for police officer jobs in 

Detroit. 

Participant Demographics 

Four focus groups were conducted; two mong Africn-Americn mles, one mong Africn-Americn femles, 

nd one mong Hispnic mles. Three fourths (75%) of the focus group prticipnts live in Detroit nd one-fourth 

live in the surrounding community. Ptricipnts rnged from 21-26 yers old nd hd personl incomes of $30,000 

or less. 

The groups were held on My 11th nd 12th, 2004. A totl of forty-five (45) individuls prticipted. Groups lsted 

pproximtely one nd one-hlf hours nd prticipnts were pid  csh incentive of $75 ech. 

Education and Current Occupation 

The eductionl bckground of prticipnts rnge from high school diploms to college degrees. The AfricnAmericn femle prticipnts were by fr the most educted group, with five college grdutes, nd six prticipnts 

with some college. 

The Hispnic mle group ws comprised predomintely of men who hd some college eduction, lthough none of 

the recruited Hispnic mles were degreed. 

Among the Africn-Americn mles prticipting, some hd high school diploms, some hd ttended college, nd 

others were college grdutes. 

Group prticipnts represented  wide rnge of occuptions, including lbor, retil, sles, eduction, mngement, 

nd medicl technicin. 

Mny individuls went into creers they were fmilir with becuse  reltive or friend ws in the profession. 

Other Job Considerations 

When sked wht other jobs they hd considered, prticipnts seemed to fll into one of the three segments: the 

first one tht hired me, the job tht ws fmilir, nd the job I lwys wnted to do. 

Other jobs which hd been considered included police officer, lwyer, militry, nursing, teching, engineering, nd 

medicine. 

149 
150 

Appendix H 

As prt of  pencil nd pper exercise, the occuptions chrcteristics which were rted s “most importnt” 

included “opportunity for dvncement”, “job security”, “helth benefits,” nd “strting py.” 

Career Options 

Focus group prticipnts were sked if they hd considered other creers. Most prticipnts hd considered other 

creer choices fter high school. 

When the creer of police officer ws discussed, the converstions becme more diverse. Mny indicted they 

hd not considered it. The job ws considered by most to be dngerous, low pid, nd socilly unrewrding. 

Severl prticipnts sid lthough they hd considered it; they did not like the “nture of the job”. Others indicted 

they “wouldn’t be eligible.” Most of the women sid they would not consider  job s  police officer under ny 

circumstnces. 

Image of Suburban Police 

Suburbn police deprtments were preceived to be better stffed, hve better equipment nd better service, 

prticulrly in terms of response time. Police officers in suburbn communities were thought to be pid more nd 

hve better eduction. Suburbn police were lso perceived to be rcist t worst nd bored or scred t best. 

Image of Detroit Police Department 

While it ws  commonly held belief corruption is  problem in the Detroit Police Deprtment, prticipnts were 

ble to discern there were some good, hrd–working police who were trying to improve the city by reducing crime. 

In generl, prticipnts felt the size of Detroit, the nture of the crimes, nd the lck of resources were the bsis for 

the negtive imge of the Detroit police force, rther thn the officers themselves. 

Although most of the prticipnts hd stories bout lck of response or encounters tht rnged from insensitivity to 

incompetence, they seemed to be sympthetic to the Deprtment s  whole. 

Policing as a Career 

Prticipnts in ech group were sked to describe the type of person who becomes  police officer nd wht type 

of person should become  police officer. The idel personlity for n pplicnt for the position of Detroit Police 

Officer would hve respect for the lw, s well s for power, but would not be petty or  power seeker. 

Desired qualities included the following: 

• Disciplined 

• Responsible 

• Sterner thn the current police 

• Serious 

• Committed 

• No silliness 

• Fir 

• Good with people 

When sked if they would pply for  job s  Detroit police officer in the future, most of the prticipnts indicted 

they would not. This ws due to the perception of low py, poor benefits, nd dnger. 
Appendix H 

Most prticipnts were resonbly ccurte in their estimtes of the strting py for  Detroit police officer 

($26,000 – $28,000). Overll, they were uninformed s to the py progression, the opportunities for dvncement, 

nd the level of py  sergent or lieutennt could ttin fter 3 to 8 yers. 

Marketing Messages and Spokespersons 

When sked “Wht would it tke for the job to be more ppeling to you?” respondents indicted in ddition to 

incresing the py, they would hve to hve more informtion. They lso suggest the hiring stndrds be rised nd 

require college for recruits. 

With the exception of those who hd or were pplying for jobs in lw enforcement, there ws virtully no 

informtion s to the vrious creers tht re open to Detroit police officers. There ws lso little informtion bout 

benefits offered to police. 

Respondents were sked how the Detroit Police Deprtment should to bout ttrcting more young pplicnts. 

Beyond rising slries nd improving both benefits nd imge, they sid young people needed to know more bout 

the opportunities vilble through the Detroit Police Deprtment, nd tht they needed to lern bout it in middle 

school or before. 

Prticipnts in ll of the men’s focus groups suggested cmpigns ptterned fter those being used by the Army, Air 

Force, nd Mrines becuse they show not only the diversity of job opportunities, but lso the diversity of people 

doing those jobs. 

A discussion of  preferred spokesperson indicted tht  police officer with experience would be effective. Ech 

group hd  slightly different ide of wht tht officer should look like; mture but not old, uthorittive, but not 

intimidting. “Someone I cn relte to,” ws the previling suggestion. 

Respondents were sked if the Detroit Chief of Police ws present, “Wht would they like to sk her bout  creer 

s  Detroit Police Officer?” Some of the responses included: 

• “Why is the py so low?” 

• “Where does she see the reputtion of the City going?” 

• “Wht re the life insurnce benefits?” 

• “Wht re you doing to chnge the imge?” 

• “How she mde it through...Wht did she hve to go through?” 

• “Ws this  creer choice?” 

• “Tell bout the tril nd tribultions?” 

• “Why won’t you hire me?” 

151 
152 

Appendix I 

Appendix I 

Site Contact Information 

Sacramento Police Department 

5770 Freeport Blvd., Suite 100 

Scrmento, CA 95822 

Smnth Brinkley, Director of Personnel 

Willim Donnoe, Ed.D., Consultnt 

Burlington Police Department 

1 North Avenue 

Burlington, VT 05401 

Deputy Chief Stephen Wrk, Project Mnger 

Jmes Borrow, Project Coordintor 

Willim Nsh, Ph.D, Consulting Psychologist 

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office 

2008 E. 8th Avenue 

Tmp, FL 33605 

Colonel Crl Hwkins, HSS Project Mnger 

Lorelei Bowden, HSS Project Coordintor 

Lt. Julie Edwrs, HSS Project Implementtion 

Consultnts: Robin Inwld, Ph.D., Hilson Reserch 

Bill Blount, Ph.D., Reserch Coordintor 

Michel Brnnick, Ph.D. 

Dvid Bchrch, Innovtions Group 

Detroit Police Department 

14655 Dexter 

Detroit, MI 48238 

Lynise Bryrnt, Personnel Director 

Elsie Scott, Ph.D. Project Mnger 

Consultnt: Terry Eisenberg, Ph.D. 

King County Sheriff’s Office 

516 Third Street 

Settle, WA 98104 

Rlph Cdy, Personnel Director 

Rebecc Connolly, Web Site Mnger 

Consultnts: Dunnette Group Ltd. 

Lett Hough, Ph.D. 

Deniz S.Ones, Ph.D. 

For More Information: 

U.S. Deprtment of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W. 

Wshington, D.C. 20530 

To obtin detils on COPS progrms, cll the 

COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 

Visit COPS Online t the ddress listed below. 

www.cops.usdoj.gov