Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 23, 1990 TAG: 9007230250
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: VICTORIA RATCLIFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Cease says he has instituted a more thorough selection process for hiring officers "to ensure that the citizens of Roanoke County receive the best-qualified person to provide assistance or serve their complaint needs."
Several weeks ago, almost 200 applicants who met the minimum standards for a police officer as set by state law took written police aptitude tests to fill the five openings, Cease said.
The tests were approved by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The cutoff for a passing score was 70 percent, and 126 of the applicants passed, Cease said.
The tests screen applicants for written and verbal skills and for reading comprehension. They also look for special aptitudes or interests that might make an applicant more useful to the department.
Those applicants then were checked to see if any had unacceptable driving records and to determine whether they had a criminal history.
After eliminating the applicants who had poor driving or criminal records, Cease and his command staff divided the remaining applicants into three groups.
The first group, for the most part, is made up of certified police officers from other departments who had good test scores and had advanced education or specialized training that would make them an asset to the department, Cease said. There are 14 applicants in that group.
The second group includes applicants who are good candidates in that they made good scores on the test or have advanced training but currently are not certified police officers. Those officers would have to attend a basic 10-week police academy and could not begin patrol work as soon as the first group of officers.
The third group consists of applicants who were not remarkable candidates but who passed the test and are in the selection pool, the chief said.
Intensive evaluations of the first 14 candidates have now begun, Cease said. But, he said, it is possible that by the time the evaluations are complete, county officials will find that some are not qualified and will choose to hire applicants from the second group as well.
Those in the first group have been asked to write a social history of themselves while background investigations are being conducted, Cease said. If an applicant makes it through the background investigation, he will be given a polygraph exam - a new step in the application procedure. Cease declined to say what questions would be asked, but said they have been approved by the attorney general.
Applicants then will be given strength, agility and flexibility tests. Although these tests were given under the old hiring procedure, they were administered by another officer. Now, Cease said, the tests will be administered by a licensed physical therapist.
Applicants also will undergo a psychological examination and a clinical interview with a psychologist. Although some psychological testing of applicants has been done in the past, Cease said he will use a new test and the clinical interview is new. The new test will be administered and interpreted by a licensed psychologist, he said.
The psychological testing tries to find applicants who have emotional maturity and mental stability, while the aptitude test looks for academic achievement, Cease said.
Once an applicant passes the psychological portion of the hiring process, he is given a complete physical examination. The physical includes drug screening - a first for the county, Cease said.
The probation period for new officers has been increased from six months to 12 months, and officers on probation will be randomly drug-screened during that first year, the chief said.
The final stage of the selection process will be an interview with the chief and his top command officers.
"In my opinion, it's a really good selection process," Cease said. "It's more in-depth than before. It's a really probing evaluation of people."
Although the selection process may appear too rigid to some people, Cease said he thinks it is necessary.
"The single biggest monetary investment we make in the police department is in the person we hire. We have to get somebody competent, motivated and willing to be here for some period of time. Turnover is costly."
Cease said he hopes to have all of the new officers hired by early September, so that anyone who is not certified can attend the next police academy, which begins in September.
Even with all five officers going to the patrol division, "we are still going to be short in patrol," the chief said. "We could use an additional 10 beyond this five in patrol."
Cease said he expects to request funding for additional patrol officers in the next budget. "We are going to have to very carefully show over time what our needs are. I think we can make a pretty good case," he said.
by CNB