NCJ Number
51910
Date Published
1977
Length
253 pages
Annotation
THE HOUSTON (TEX.) POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PHYSICAL SELECTION REQUIREMENTS ARE EVALUATED TO DETERMINE WHICH PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES ARE NECESSARY FOR SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE AND TO DEVELOP RELATED SCREENING PROCEDURES.
Abstract
VARIOUS TYPES OF METHODOLOGIES WERE APPLIED IN THIS STUDY, INCLUDING JOB ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES, CONTENT VALIDITY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT OF WORK SAMPLE TESTS, AND CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY RESEARCH. RESULTS OF A JOB ANALYSIS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY RELEVANT PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES STRONGLY INDICATE THAT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO DRIVING, SHOOTING, CHASING, AND FORCIBLY SUBDUING RESISTANT ACTORS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OFFICER'S ROUTINES. SUGGESTED PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR JOB APPLICANTS INCLUDE RUNNING UP AND DOWN STAIRS, CLIMBING OVER OBSTACLES, UP LADDERS, AND THROUGH WINDOWS, AND BALANCING ON A BEAM WITHOUT SUPPORT. MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS ARE ANALYZED CONFIRMING THE VALIDITY OF USING VISUAL AND AUDITORY DEFECTS, DEFORMITIES, RECURRING ILLNESS, AND SOME SKIN DISEASE AS DISQUALIFYING CRITERIA. HEIGHT AND WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT VALID DISQUALIFIERS. ON-THE-JOB REQUIREMENTS ARE IDENTIFIED AND THE FINDINGS ARE CONVERTED INTO APPROPRIATE WORK SAMPLE TESTS SUCH AS CLIMBING FIRE ESCAPE LADDERS, LIFTING PERSONS, AND CARRYING AND DRAGGING. THE FINAL SECTION SUMMARIZES THE CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY RESEARCH FOR HEIGHT, WEIGHT, RATIO OF WEIGHT TO HEIGHT, AND VISION. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN THE PHYSICAL TASK INVENTORY, ANALYSIS DATA OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES BY PATROL SHIFT, STUDY DATA, AND SUGGESTED RESEARCH TO STUDY VISUAL REQUIREMENTS. FOR VOLUMES 1-5, SEE NCJ 51941-51945; FOR VOLUME 4A, SEE 51917; AND FOR VOLUMES 7-9, 51911-51913. (DAG)